A Father's Hate
by Musiclover14
Summary: Team Gibbs has been reunited for over a month and things are finally beginning to feel normal again. What happens when a secret's being kept and lives are being threatened? Will the truth be told? Will all of them survive? Hints of Tony/Ziva.
1. Chapter 1

**You'll have to forgive me if this sucks or if they're out of character. It is my first NCIS story and only my second story total. This first chapter is just an opener and really doesn't have much to do with later chapters. I also apologize for any grammer or spelling mistakes, I'm not really the best at that sort of thing. So please just read and then tell me what you thought by leaving a review.**

**Disclaimer: Nope NCIS does not belong to me.**

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They had all been back for a few weeks now. They had handled a few cases, dealt with the FBI, and gone to Gibbs' hometown. Things were back to normal, they were all together, Gibbs was barking orders, Tony was constantly using movie references, McGee was being made fun of for his computer skills instead of worshipped for them, Abby was back to her happy self, Ducky was rambling on with storys of which no one cared the slightest bit about and Palmer was continueing to put his foot in his mouth. Everything was just like it was before those horrible four months, everything except Ziva. She still messed up commonly used American phrases, still bickered/flirted with Tony, still could kill someone with a paper clip, and in eighteen different ways at that. But something about her, the look in her eyes, the strength in her voice, the fire in her presence, it was gone or at least it was not as vibrant as before. They all picked up on something but everyone had been a little off. Gibbs hadn't even head slapped Tony since they came back, talk about something weird. Everyone just sort of brushed it off knowing they had all been through hell and were probably all off. Yet as they watched her, observed her actions you could tell she was off. Tony was the one who could tell the most when he just stared at her eyes. Those eyes told him everything she was feeling and he needed to know why she was feeling that way. He had to help her.

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"So you're telling me that you never saw Saw?" Tony asked Ziva while walking into work Monday morning.

"No, I never saw Saw," she tells him mocking him over his double-word usage.

"Not any of them? Not one or two or three or four or-"

"I don't think she saw any of them, DiNozzo." Gibbs says walking in with his coffee cup in his hand.

"Okay what about the Scary Movie movies?" Tony asks convinced that there was no way Zive had never seen an American scary movie.

"No, I never the Scary Movie movies and would you stop repeating your words?" Ziva requests from him taking her seat at her desk and pushing the on switch for her computer.

"No, I will not Zi-vah," he says and sits down glancing down at the note that had been left on his desk. It was from Amanda Castelletti. Someone who worked at NCIS and had been flirting with him all last week. He ditched the note in his trash can and started back up his argument with Ziva. "What about any of the Halloween movies or the Friday the 13ths?"

"No Tony I have not seen any of them now would you please _please_ shut up?" she said looking up from her computer screen.

"That would be negatory," he replied and then continued. "What about I Know What You Did last Summer? Or the enthralling sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer."

"No! Now if you do not stop throwing out movie titles at the speed of time I will very likely kill you." Ziva threatened as she glared at him from across the room.

"Fine fine, I'll stop. It's the speed of light by the way," he says and opens up his inbox sorting through his e-mails. Three from Amanda. God has this woamn ever heard of seeming desperate? He wonders and then proceeded to check all the boxes and delete them. "Now you must have seen when A Stranger Calls." He tells her refusing to believe that she really hadn't seen any of the great horror films on the Northern Hemisphere.

The phone rings and Gibbs answers it just as Ziva stands up her hands defiantly on her desk looking ready to kill. "Grab your gear." He tells them and they do as he says.

"We got a case, boss?" Tony asks as they walk to the elevators.

"No, DiNozzo I just wanted you to see if we could beat our time for getting to the elevator." Gibbs replies sarcasticly. "And where the hell is McGee at?"

"I'm here, boss," a frantic McGee answers when the elevator doors open.

"What happened to you, Probie?" Tony asks when he sees the junior field agent's wrecked apparence.

"My car wouldn't start so I had to take the bus."

"Were you mugged or something?" Tony asks still staring McGee who was a complete mess. Dirt all over him and a very distinct scratch across his left cheek.

"More like tackled!" The young agent exclaims. "Some cop thought I was a drug dealer so he tackled me to the ground and then proceeded to search me."

"And you're only ten minutes late?" Tony asked confused on how he could only be slightly late after all of that.

"Yeah well I was planning on leaving early to get some paper work done."

"Of course you were McEarly," Tony says and steps in the elevator.

"Go grab your gear, McGee," Gibbs tells McGee who dashes out of the elevator. "Meet us downstairs, and for God's sake wipe your face first!" Gibbs yells as the door closes.

About an hour later they arrive at the crime scene. It is nothing but a back dirt road, with a chair and dead female petty officer who is tied to the chair in the middle of it.

"Ziva take photos, Tony sketch, and McGee bag and tag." Gibbs says giving out his usual orders and he goes over to talk to the man who was driving by and saw her.

"You know this reminds me of a-" Tony starts to say while the three of them get the supplies.

"A movie," McGee and Ziva say at the same time and then walk over to the crime scene.

"Don't you want to know which one?" He yells over to them and they completely ignore him. "Someone who's never even seen a scary movie in English wouldn't care I suppose." Tony mutters to himself and walks over to the others.

"What do you think happened?" Tony asks Ziva who was taking pictures so Ducky could examine petty officer.

"I think that she was tied to a chair in the middle of a road."

"Yes but why do you think it happened?" He asks while making accurate measurments of exactly where the chair was in the road.

"Impossible to tell now." Ziva says taking pictures of the way her feet were tied to the the legs of the chair. "It could be anything from a psychotic man who went...well psycho, or perhaps it was revenge. No one can tell we don't even have her identity yet. You know that so why would you ask, Tony?"

"Do you think that possibly she was the only person to know that her sister's husband murdered her sister and therefore he had to kill her before she told the police where his current wife worked?" Ziva stares at him blankly before turning back to the Nikon camera and getting a close up on the slashes across her face.

"Did they get the guy in the end, DiNozzo?" Gibbs questions the senior agent.

"Actually he was killed by a deer."

"And that is why I do not watch the American horror films." Ziva comments still not looking up.

"So what'd the hilbillie driver say?" Tony asks Gibbs referring to the man's appearal which was overalls with a T-shirt underneath and work boots on his feet.

"That he drove by and saw the woman there so he called 911. You done yet? I want Ducky to look at her so we can get a ToD." Gibbs asks his team who seem to be taking longer than usual today.

"Do you think it is a possibilite that this man could have done this?" Ziva questions Gibbs letting the camera now rest around her neck.

"No."

"How do you know, boss?" Tony questions now finished with the sketch.

"Because he didn't know what the word lacerations meant." Gibbs says and waves Ducky over to look at the petty officer.

"Hey boss you're gonna want to see this." McGee yells while staring into the bushes.

"What do you got, McGee?" Gibbs asks walking over to the agent with a now horror stricken face.

"The last supper," McGee says and pulls back some branches to reveal nine other dead bodys all tied up to chairs placed around a long table with bug infested food on it.

"Hey Duck come here!" Gibbs yell over to the ME.

"What is it Jethro? If you want to know the-" he stops mid-sentence when he sees what they are all staring at. "Oh dear, I should have brought another truck today shouldn't I of Jethro?" Ducky asks when he sees the various bodies.

"I don't care how you get them back to NCIS just get them back." Gibbs says and walks back over to the man who found the body in the road to let him he could leave.

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Once they reached back to NCIS they all went off to look through missing persons files, Ducky began his series of autopsys, Abby was examining the rope and they had also taken a soil sample for her to test.

"My question is what are we looking for?" Tony asks. "We don't even have a time of death from Ducky yet so all we're doing is looking through file sand having no idea what we're looking for."

"This is what Gibbs told us to do," McGee points out knowing better than to ever defy a direct order from Gibbs.

"But we aren't going to know if we find something even if we find it." McGee takes a second to process what Tony said before responding.

"Tell that to Gibbs not me, Tony." As McGee says this Ziva cell phone rings. She answers in Hebrew and walks from her desk to around the corner. Tony and McGee share a look of curiosity.

"What do you think that's about?" Tony asks leaning forward in his chair trying to see if he could spot her from around the corner, which he obviously couldn't.

"How am I supposed to know?" McGee asks angrily feeling over worked and over tired from his car not starting to finding ten dead bodys, which really didn't put Gibbs in a good mood at all, to being asked to find answers to questions he can't possibly give an accurate solution to.

"A little touchy aren't we, McGoo?" Tony says a little shocked by McGee's irritated response.

"Sorry I'm just tired."

"You must be, you just apologized if Gibbs were here he'd say-"

"Don't apologize it's a sign of weakness." Gibbs says coming out of no where as he commonly does.

"Yeah something along those lines."

"Tell me you have something besides a smart ass response?" Gibbs questions staring expectantly at the agents.

"Well no, but I have plenty of the smart ass responses if you want some of those, boss." Tony says bracing himself for the head slap that strangely doesn't come.

"How can you have nothing?" Gibbs demands from them.

"We've only been working for an hour and we really don't have anything to go off of and-"

"Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs Gibbs!" Abby exclaims running out of the elevator and over to the team, her pigtails flying behind her and chains clinking together. "I found something."

He stares at her expectantly and she returns the look. "What'd ya find Abs?" Gibbs asks and Abby smiles in satisfaction.

"Well I was examining the ropes and I found sweat on them so I ran it through DNA processing."

"You found our killer?" Gibbs asks actually surprised that they had found something so quickly even if he had been the one pushing them all to find it.

"Not quite."

"Abby then what are you-"

"Let me finish and I'll tell you," she says staring at him to look for confirmation on his silence. "Okay so I tested all the ropes because a scientist never assumes, not that anyone should assume as you commonly point out but scientists especially because-"

"Abby..." Gibbs says reminiding her to focus.

"Right, so the most recent two had the same sweat type and the third didn't have anything on it, but on the fourth there was a completely different set of DNA. Meaning that-"

"Our killer has an accomplise." Gibbs says finishing her sentence. "What about the other ropes?"

"Well the earliest ones were to damaged from weather and bugs and stuff but the fifth and sixth were still intact enough for me to check."

"And?"

"The fifth had the same as the fourth and sixth had a seventy-two percent match to the first two."

"Only a sibling could have DNA that close," McGee says.

"So we do not have a serial killer?" Ziva asks from behind Tony's desk. No one had noticed her until she had said something.

"Nope, we have a group of people killing these women and putting them all in the same spot." Abby says sounding proud of herself for finding this out.

"That's good works, Abs," Gibbs says giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"What, no Caf Pow?" she asks feeling the dire urge for a jolt.

"McGee get her a Caf Pow!" Gibbs yells from the elevator as he headed down to autopsy.

"So who was on the phone?" Tony asks turning to Ziva who was still behind the board thingy behind his desk.

"A human," is her vague answer and she has no intentions of relieving anymore information on this topic.

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"What have ya got, Duck?" Gibbs asks as he enters the very full examination room.

"An awful lot of dead woman," Ducky says not lookig up from his current body. "Hand me the scalpal please Mr. Palmer," he asks of the young assitent.

"You gotta give me more than that."

"I'm afraid that I can't. I have several bodys and only two hands, Jethro."

"Well tell me what you do have. Besides dead woman, I mean." Gibbs says wanting something from someone.

"I can give you an approximate time of death on all of the bodys and a definite on the most recent two, but that is it for now I am only one man after all."

"So give me the time," Gibbs says impatiently.

"Well it appears that they are all spaced about one week apart from each other."

"So you're telling me that there is some lunatic taking one woman a week and killing her?" Gibbs asks as Ducky removes the liver of one woman to be weighed. "And no one has notocied?"

"It would appear so," Ducky says and examines the body before a discouraged look comes across his face. "I feared this."

"Feared what?"

"I can not be sure yet but of the three woman I have examined they have all been about three months pregnant give or take," Ducky says sadly. "It also seems that they were tortured before and after their death."

"Do you know what the cause of death is, Duck?"

"The hemorrhages around the wrists and ankles suggests that they were tied long before mortem, and from the looks of it they were starved for at least a good week and a half." Ducky says giving all he knows about the case to Gibbs.

"So were they sitting in the middle of the road before they died?"

"Perhaps or maybe they had been tied to a bed or anything and then transferred to the chair and placed in the road."

"Any signs of sexual assualt?" Gibbs asks after Ducky mentions the possibilty of being tied to a bed.

"I ran the rape kit and it came back negative."

"How long until you have all the information on all ten bodys?" Gibbs asks wanting to know when he could get some more helpful information.

"If I go home, not unitl the end of tomorrow in order to have thorough results."

"Well then don't go home." Is Gibbs' simple response.

"How do you suppose I sleep, Jethro?"

"Don't. You want coffee or Caf Pow?" He asks and begins to walk out the door.

"Well what about mother?" Ducky wonders to himself.

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"Boyfriend? Brother? Uncle? Nephew?" Tony asks standing over Ziva's desk trying to figure out who the mystery callers was.

"Why are you so sure it was a man?" Ziva asks finally giving up on ignoring him.

"So it was a woman." Tony says as if he had finally figured something out.

"I did not say that and haven't you ever heard of the term to think your own business?"

"Mind. It's mind your own business," Tony corrects.

"Fine then, haven't you ever heard of minding your own business?"

"Search through all missing woman of the past eleven weeks who were pregnant about three or four months." Gibbs tells them walking in with another coffee.

"They were all pregnant?" McGee asks.

"No McGee I just thought I would have you look up if there were any missing pregnat woman in case we get bored and want to go find them." Gibbs says having zero tolerance for stupid questions that McGee seemed to get a kick out of asking. "And did you get Abby her Caf Pow?"

"Yes boss I did. She's downstairs checking the soil sample we gave her and all of the clothes." McGee informs him.

"By herself?" Gibbs asks in a way suggesting McGee go help the forensic scientist.

"Um, I could go help her," McGee looks at Gibbs to see what he thinks of the idea and when he sees his face he knows. "I should go help her. I am, I am going to help her." He says and awkwardly shuffles to the elevator.

"Do you two have anything?" Gibbs asks already knowing the response.

"Not yet but with the new information it should be easier." Tony says typing in the information Gibbs had given him. Rather slowly typing it, but typing it none the less.

"Call me-"

"When we've got something." Tony says finishing Gibbs' sentence as Gibbs heads to the elevators.

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**There's the first chapter! Tell me what you thought. The story hasn't really started yet, as I said above. This case has nothing to do with the story and will either be solved or handed over to the FBI later on depending on what you guys want. So leave me a review and tell me what you thought. **


	2. Chapter 2

It'd been a long few hours of searching through the missing persons reports, for the two agents up in the squad room. Not many words had been exchanged between the two except for Tony who, every ten minutes, would say he was hungry. Which, in turn, was starting to drive Ziva crazy.

"Why don't you just go get something to eat, Tony?" she suggests. Although she may enjoy having Tony around, not that she would ever admit it, right now Ziva could definitely use some time to herself. Time to think about the case and about-

"Because if Gibbs comes back and I'm not here..." he stops almost seeming to be at a loss for words. "I'll be in trouble," Tony says not able to think of a way to describe just how much trouble he would be in. "In case you have not noticed Gibbs isn't exactly in a good mood."

"Is he ever?"

"I mean he's in a worse mood then ever. You know how he gets when a certain case is bugging him." They had found quite a few people in the missing reports who fit the description they were looking for, but nothing that was really front page news. Now they were just tired and therefore couldn't do a very good job or if you were Tony you couldn't concentrate, at least not on what you needed to. "So who was on the phone?"

"Don't you know when to drop something, Tony?" Ziva asks very tired of his constant pestering. That was one of the last things she needed right now. Right now she needed a bath and her bed.

"How long have you known him Ziva?" Gibbs asks coming back to the squad room for the first time since he had left that afternoon. "What've ya got?"

"Well, Gibbs, we believe that we have found the missing girls." Ziva informs him hitting the keys on her keyboard to put the identity's of the girls up on the board.

"Did you notice any similarities with them besides pregnancy?" Gibbs asks watching as eleven faces came up on the screen. "Why are there eleven?"

"Because she," Tony stops and signals out one of the pictures. "Seems to be his next victim. Her name is Isabelle Turpin. She was reported missing two days ago by her boyfriend."

"I want him in here. I want all of these women's husbands, boyfriends, fiances, and exs that have anything to do with there baby's brought in here." Gibbs says knowing that everyone of them would have motive.

"But they're spaced out all over the country it would be-" Tony starts to say but when Gibbs turns to look at him he thinks better of it. "On it, boss."

"Did you find out anything else, Ziva?" Gibbs asks.

"That DiNozzo is hungry," she says and then Gibbs' stare was inflicted upon her. "No. Nothing else yet."

"Get those men in here," Gibbs says and walks back to the elevator.

"How does he suggest we do that? I mean one of them is all the way in California," Tony complains just wanting to go home.

"Well the woman was brought here, yes? So he can be brought here too," Ziva says and then smiles. "Why don't we order pizza, Tony?"

"Okay, but it was your idea," Tony says and starts reciting the exact pizza he'd been dreaming up for the past hour to the pizza place on his speed dial.

Gibbs enters downstairs and see the forensic scientist fast asleep on the famous farting hippo with McGee asleep on the keyboard. A clear line of Y's going across the screen. Gibbs sets down the Caf Pow next to the empty one beside Abby and then leans in and whispers in her ear, "What do you got, Abs?"

"Some of the blood on the womens clothes match the others," she says drowsily and quietly.

"The other what, Abby?" he asks her quietly again.

"The other women," she says and he decides it's time for her to be a woken.

"They're getting rid of the Caf Pow machine," he says and watches as the girl suddenly comes to life.

"How can they get rid of the machine? I'm sure it makes the most money out of all the other ones. Now what am I supposed to drink?" Abby asks but realizes it's a joke when she sees Gibbs' amused look. "Not funny, Gibbs."

"I thought it was. Now what have you got?"

"Right, well I was running the blood on the clothes to see if one of our killers pricked a finger or something."

"Yeah and?" Gibbs questions.

"And I found that these woman were in the same room together at the same time. Meaning that our most recent victim has some blood of the next to most recent victim and vice versa. It seems that they're taken in pairs. So maybe we have five killers. Each one taking two women," Abby says smiling. "Now they aren't really getting rid of the Caf Pow machine right?" She asks worry laced in her voice. Gibbs simply shakes the cup that he just got her in front of her face. "Okay, good."

"That's a good job, Abby," Gibbs says and heads towards the exit before turning back to where McGee was still sleeping and getting close to his ear. "Hey!" Gibbs yells in his loud marine voice.

"Huh wh-what?" McGee asks jumping up with start looking totally terrified.

"I said help her, not get your beauty rest," he says and leaves to his next destination.

"The best idea you've ever had, Ziva," Tony tells her as he finishes off the final piece of pizza. They had spent the last two hours arranging for all of the current suspects to be sent to D.C. and were now just waiting for the O.K. from Gibbs to go home.

"I would think that is a bit exagerant, Tony," Ziva says and her phone begins to buzz again. She lets it continue to ring not bothering to answer it.

"The mystery man/woman again?" Tony asks very curious as to who it was that was calling Ziva.

"No," is her simple response.

"Then who is it?" Ziva simply gives him a look that is very strongly suggesting he backs off. The phone stops buzzing for a minute and then starts again. This time she picks up.

"Hello," Ziva says seemingly annoyed.

Tony watches as she talks animatedly and she begins to get angry and says a few Hebrew words which he was pretty sure were not kind ones. Then her face goes to pure fear. It's a look that Tony has rarely seen on her face, that she rarely shows anyone. The color seems to drain from it and her breathing becomes shaky. Tony starts to worry that there she was physically ill. He had never seen her like this before. With a shaking hand she takes the phone and closes it hanging up on whoever she was talking to. Tony could tell she could hang up because he heard the person on the other line still screaming. Ziva blinks a few times, looking disoriented and confused. "I-i have to go. Tell Gibbs I am sorry but I will see him tomorrow," she says and starts to put her coat on.

"Wait," Tony says not just letting her leave. Something is seriously wrong and he isn't just going to ignore it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she says as convincingly as she can but not even convincing herself. "Nothing is wrong. I will see you tomorrow for work, Tony."

"Ziva come on. Talk to me," Tony says following her as she goes to the elevators.

"I can not."

"What do you mean you can't?" Tony asks. He wouldn't have worried quite as much if she had said she didn't want to talk or that there was nothing to talk about, but she can't?That wasn't like her to say. "It's me, Ziva."

"I know and there is no need to worry," she says stepping in to the elevator. Tony trys to follow her but she puts her hand out pressing it against his chest to prevent from moving. "Good night Tony," she says and moves her hand so the doors can close, leaving a worried and confused Tony on the other side.

**This chapter was a lot shorter than the one before but I thought that it ended in a good place. Now we're getting somewhere further into the story but if you ever want to figure out what's going on you're just gonna have to review. Which reminds me thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or alerted my story last chapter it really means a lot to me especially since I personally think my writing sucks. Also in your reviews let me know if you want the NCIS team to solve the current case or if it should be handed to the FBI or just sorta be dropped from this story and instead have it focus more so on the real plot line. I'll do which ever you guys want so let me know :)**


	3. Chapter 3

When Tony got into work the next day he found the desk across from him was empty. He looked at the clock on the wall and knew he shouldn't be worried, she was only five minutes late. Tony sighed and sat down at his desk flipping the on switch for his computer.

"Long day?" McGee asks when he sees Tony who looks like crap. He didn't look much better than when he came back to work after the plaque and he really didn't look good after that.

"The day just started," is Tony's dry response.

"Right, I know that but you look you didn't sleep at all last night."

"I slept fine," Tony says not even able to think straight. The elevator dings and he looks over hoping it's her but instead it's the lovely Amanda Castelletti. Great the last thing I need today. He thinks as she starts walking over to his desk.

"Hey Tony," she says in a blond girl flirty way. Tony just looks right through her when he sees Ziva walk out of the elevator. His eyes follow her as she walks over to her desk and sets her stuff down. Ziva's hair is unruly and she looks as tired as Tony does. "So are you?" Amanda asks and Tony is brought back to attention to the girl who has been talking for the last two minutes.

"Am I what?"

"Are you free Friday?" she asks apparently asking him out.

"Uh, no actually I'm going to a comic book convention with McGee." McGee looks at Tony as if he's crazy now seriously worried for the senior agent. He then promptly checks his planner making sure that there wasn't really a comic book convention he was supposed to go to with Tony.

"Oh, well what about Saturday?" Does this woman know how to take a clue or do I have to spell it out? Tony wonders very frustrated especially since he really needs to talk to Ziva before Gibbs comes in and gives them their jobs for the day.

"I don't think so. I'm booked solid for the next month or two. Who knows maybe even three," he says hoping that now she'll go away.

"Wow busy guy huh?" she asks sounding disappointed but then leans in close her shirt falling down a little to give Tony a rather nice view and whispers low, "Let me know if anything opens up though." Tony just nods a little still ignoring her for the most part. Finally she gives up and walks back to her department.

"Hey, Ziva," Tony says to her from across the room and gives her a smile.

"Good morning Tony," she says and begins to pull her curls into a ponytail to get them out of her face.

"We aren't really going to a comic book convention on Friday right, Tony?" McGee asks.

"Of course not McGeek."

"You do not like her?" Ziva asks having seen some of the exchange between Tony and Amanda. She was rather surprised when Tony didn't look down her shirt and then smile up at her before saying something like "why wait till then?"

"Who?" Tony asks thinking she was asking about McGee. Yeah he made fun of the Probie but he never called him a her, that's just cruel.

"Amanda."

"Oh, no she's a bit...Blonde," Ziva gives him a questioning look. After all she had seen some of his girlfriends and he never used to seem to have anything against the blonde girls. "So was everything okay? I mean after last-"

"When are those men supposed to get here?" Gibbs asks coming in, his usual accessory of coffee with him.

"Uh later today, boss," McGee says not knowing the exact time they were coming but since neither Tony nor Ziva was answering he figured he should.

"Later when, McGee?"

"I, uh I don't know."

"Tony when are they supposed to be getting here?" Gibbs asks wanting an answer from someone.

"We have men coming in all day. The first should be here around ten," Tony says not moving his eyes from Ziva the whole time. He could read her thoughts when he looked at her and right now what he saw scared him. A phone starts to ring and Ziva pulls out her cell phone to see if it was her's. Surprisingly, this time it wasn't.

"Yeah, Gibbs. I'll be right down, Ducky," Gibbs says hanging the phone up and starts his walk to the elevator. "Ducky's got something in case you couldn't figure that out."  
"So last night?" Tony asks the two of them falling behind the others on their way to the elevator.

Ziva looks at him wanting to answer his question, although she was not quite sure what the question was. "I am fine, Tony."

"I have finished the autopsys," Ducky says as the team walks in.

"And?" Gibbs asks not having much patience today not that he ever really does.

"My hypothesis was correct. Every one of these women were a few months pregnant and they were all starved and tortured."

"So you called us down here to tell us your hypothesis was right?" Gibbs asks sounding rather annoyed.

"No I did discover something else," Ducky tells them and walks over to the x-ray display area. "After the first two autopsys I thought that our killers broke the clavical on each of the women during the torture process. However when I reached the third woman I saw that a few ribs were cracked and the same for the fourth. Once I reached the fifth I was expecting to find more cracked ribs but instead found several broken fingers, same for the sixth. Seventh and eighth had there right hip bone chipped and the first two victims had large puncture wounds in the womb." Ducky tells them pointing each injury out as he says them. "It seems Abby was in fact correct. Five different killers, five different torture markings."

"So there are five men all working together to torture, starve, and kill pregnant women?" Ziva asks finding disgust in these men's actions.

"Six," Tony corrects.

"What?"

"Well if each man takes two woman and we're on woman eleven then there is now six men doing this."

"The only question is why," McGee says.

"And who," Gibbs says as though McGee has just made a rather large error.

"Right, of course that's an important of the case," McGee stutters out. The ringing of a cell phone causes everyone to look at their phones checking to see who it was that was receiving a call. It's quickly silenced when Ziva hangs up on whoever it was that seemed to have gone cell phone happy.

"Now I am going home to get some rest," Ducky says taking off his white doctor's coat and hanging it on the hook. "Goodnight Jethro," Ducky says switching off all the lights momentarily forgetting that there was still a large group of people in the room.

A phone begins to ring again and this time it is Gibbs' who answers in his usual way and then hangs up without bothering to say goodbye. "Our first man is here McGee you escort him to interrogation while I look over the information we have on him."

"Got it, boss," McGee says, and he and Gibbs exit the dark room.

Ziva begins to walk towards the door but is stopped when a firm yet gentle grasp is felt on her arm. Had Tony of done this a year ago his shoulder would have been dislocated, but now she just turned and looked at him. She wanted to look annoyed and seem angry but she couldn't, not fully anyway. "What's going on?" Tony asks quietly, as if he would wake someone if he were to speak loudly.

"I told you, I am fine," she says as softly as he had spoken.

"I don't believe it."

"Well that is your problem, yes." Ziva tells him even though she knew he would figure it all out one way or another. Either sooner or later.

"I'm worried. You never get that many phone calls," Tony says, making a joke as he usually does.

"You have no need to worry," Ziva tells him and considers countering back with a joke but decides on a more serious response. "I can take care of myself."

"But why do you need to take care of yourself?" Tony asks. If there is one thing Anthony DiNozzo hates it is not knowing what is going on. That and not knowing a movie to reference something to but that's only happened once two years ago.

She considers telling him and then lectures herself to not be so weak and to never give away information that is meant to be kept to one's self. "I am fine."

"No you're not."

Ziva stares at him, her cold exterior coming back and her wall going back up. "You do not know that, Tony."

"Yeah I do," he tells her pausing for a moment and when she does not say anything he continues. "You're telling me right now." Although it is dark their eyes had adjusted enough so they could see one another.

Ziva pulls her arm away and walks to the doors and they slide open, "Please do not worry. I am fine." She tells him one more time as though it would convince him and perhaps even convince her. It does neither.

**I really don't like this chapter but figured I'd post it anyway. Please let me know what you thought. Last chapter I got two votes on whether or not the case should be solved. Of course it was one for yes and one for no which means a tie breaker, so please someone break it. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed it makes my day when you review so thank you all :) Some questions should be answered next chapter so keep in mind that the more reviews I get the quicker I will update. Thanks again!**


	4. Chapter 4

Eleven interviews, eleven times of asking basically the same questions, and eleven solid alibis. So after spending the day with eleven suspects they were now down to zero and also had to spend the day telling these men that their wives or girlfriends were dead and that one had been abducted and that they currently had no leads in order to find her. It was now late, nearly ten, and everyone was far past ready to go home. Tony had become even more worried with the more time he spent with Ziva. She was distracted and would zone out, she just seemed completely out of it. It wasn't her and that worried him, a lot. They had just been told that they were free to go home so all three agents were packing their things up.

Tony stalled a little, waiting for Ziva who was taking a rather long time getting her things in order. He opened a couple of drawers looking at the random stuff in them and then shutting them. When he looked up again he saw that Ziva was already half way to the elevator so he grabbed his back pack and hurried after her. He slipped through the doors just before they closed and she pressed the button to the ground floor. They stood silently, neither looking at the other or even really acknowledging one another. It was awkward between the two of them. Tony hated it, and Ziva felt bad for not telling him about what was going on even if she knew that it was most definitely for the best. The elevator stopped and the doors open letting the two agents off. Both went towards their cars which were in different directions of each others. No one said anything. Once Tony reached his car he turned back and looked at her watching as she threw her bag across the seat in her and then sat down herself. Tony sighed and unlocked his car door getting in his own car. He was frustrated, frustrated that he couldn't help her. That he didn't even know what she needed help with. He started his car and started on his usual route home. As he was sitting at the stop light when he thought of something much better to do.

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Ziva David did not think she had ever been so tired in her life. She had not been sleeping well ever since the team had been split up. Even though she was tired all day and exhausted by night she could never seem to fall asleep until long past a reasonable hour. Of course getting up at five to go for a run probably didn't help. Ziva sighed and tossed her keys on the counter and then taking her jacket off and placing it over the back of a chair. She pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair and shook her head slightly letting her curly hair be untamed. Her boots are then tossed in the corner and she throws her sweats on. Ziva is about to crawl under the covers of her bed and begin the next chapter on her current book when someone begins knocking on her door. She considers ignoring it but gets up anyway, mumbling Hebrew curse words to whoever it is that has interrupted her. When she opens the door she is rather surprised at who is standing there.

Tony is standing there with a box of pizza and a paper bag filled with...something. "I was driving home and I thought 'Ziva has never seen an American horror film. Someone should really do something about that!' So I went home and got some movies from my collection and then ordered some pizza, pepperoni and hamburger your favorite, and then drove over here." Tony says explaining his sudden appearance at her door.

"That bag is filled with horror films?" Ziva asks. She knew Tony had a lot of movies but here he was with a large paper bag that had to have at least fifty movies in it. She didn't even know that that many scary movies existed let alone that Tony appeared to own them all.

"Well horror films and one other," Tony says.

"What's the other one?" Ziva asks and watches as Tony pulls out the movie that was sitting on the very top. _The Sound of Music _which she knew he hated but he knew she loved. She says nothing but simply holds the door open. Tony gives her a classic DiNozzo smile as he walks in and sets the pizza on the kitchen counter.

"So what do you want to watch first?" Tony asks knowing the answer and ready to make a deal. She gives him a look implying that he most definitely knows what she want to watch. "Alright but if we are going to watch _The Sound of Music _then we have to watch the Saw movies."

"Isn't there like ten of them?" Ziva asks not sure of the actual number but knowing it was alot.

"Actually five but only four are on DVD."

"Tony, it is eleven at night already! We can not watch five movies before I need to go for my run and what about sleep?" Ziva asks.

"We've done it before," Tony reminds her of the nights they would spend together watching movies way back before Jeanne. "Besides we don't have to watch them all tonight. Just as long as you promise to watch them all."

"But mine is just two hours all of yours would be about eight."

"That is correct Officer David, however I have already endured the excruciating pain of your movie once already. Making me watch it again is just down right mean, but I figured I would, however, only if you agree to the conditions." Tony tells her and she rolls her eyes and walks over to the couch and places the movie in the DVD player. Tony grabs the some beers out of the bag he had and the pizza also. He sits down next to her and hands her the beverage and a slice of pizza. Ziva is slightly uncomfortable at how the closeness between the two of them but ten minutes into the movie all awkwardness has vanished and all the problems and worries of the day just seem to fade. He does something to her, something no one else is capable of doing. Anthony DiNozzo can comfort her.

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Two hours and many slices of pizza later the credits begin to roll. "Alright are you ready to pay your-" Tony starts to say but stops when he sees her head that had been rested on his shoulder is now still laying there and Ziva is asleep. Tony smiles as he watches her, rather surprised that she isn't snoring. He takes her in his arms and lays down on the couch with her on top of him and places the blanket that had been on the back of the couch over them. Tony knew that doing this was basically a death wish but didn't care. As he starts to fall asleep he hears the movie start again since the DVD player re-starts it automatically if you don't do something in a few minutes. That's when her snoring kicks in, except this time instead of being annoyed by it he just smiles and turns the volume up on the TV up a little.

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Ziva stirs a little and opens her eyes when she hears the mixture of snoring and Julie Andrews singing. The first thing she notices is that she is, basically on top of DiNozzo and the next is that the afghan on the couch is on top of them. She blinked a few time wondering how long they had been asleep was it time for her run already? That's when her eyes see light streaming through the windows. There is never light coming through the windows at five in the morning. Her eyes glance around the room looking for a clock and find the one on the DVD player 700 hours! They're supposed to be to work in under thirty minutes. She mutters one of her Hebrew curse words before getting up and kicking the couch causing Tony to sit up suddenly and get tangled up in the afghan. Ziva laughs as he works on getting free and the look of realization he gets on his face when he realizes just what time it is. He curses but not in Hebrew.

"Why are you laughing? We're going to be late." Tony asks but can not help but smile at the amused look on her face.

"Who said anything about we?" Ziva questions. "I am home all I need to do is shower and get dressed I should not be too late, but you..." Ziva says and laughs a little more when she takes in the full morning DiNozzo look. One of his socks is half off, his hair in complete disarray, and his clothes wrinkled with a large pizza sauce stain on his shirt.

"You'll still be late." Tony tells her. She may be quick at getting ready but no woman can shower and get dressed in twenty minutes.

"True but not nearly as late as you will be," Ziva tells him. He shoots her a look before beginning to put his shoes back on and looking around to find his keys. "Looking for these?" she asks dangling the keys in front of his face.

Tony snatches the keys, "Where'd you find them?"

"Your coat pocket."

"I'll see you at work," Tony says grabbing the bag of movies and walking to the door. He turns back on a second thought remembering something. "Don't forget you still have to watch all of my movies."

Ziva smiles before responding. "Then I guess you will just have to come over again tonight, yes?" Ziva asks the sensible Mossad trained part of herself telling her to stop, but the part of her that anyone, including herself, rarely sees tells her to ask him to stay with her this night and the next and for many more after that.

"I guess I have to. I can't let you get off without paying your debt," Tony says and then he remembers and turns and leaves quickly yelling a goodbye when he is half gone.

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**Hmm chapter didn't quite pan out as I had expected and its kind of short. Well leave me a review and let me know what you thought of it. The results on if the case should be solved or not have come in it's anonymous. So I guess it is going to be solved. Now who wants to give me an idea on how to end the case? Thank you all for your kind words I really appreciate it :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Tony ended up being late, very late. The traffic had been terrible and he was never even able to take a shower. By the time he got to work he was over an hour late and Gibbs was pissed. On top of that he didn't exactly smell or look very good either. They still had no leads on the case and had been thinking up theories all day, however nothing seemed to be going anywhere. The FBI had been trying to get a hold of the case saying that since only one out of the eleven victims was a marine they should be the ones to be handling the case. Especially considering that NCIS had no leads or breakthroughs since the beginning of the case. Abby found nothing abnormal in the soil and all the clothing seemed fine. Ducky had re-examined the bodies for any possibilities that he had missed something but found nothing. Everyone was frustrated and...well bored. It seemed like they had been going in circles. Testing the same items, discussing the same ideas, checking the same bodies, it was very redundant and just about everyone was praying for a new lead.

Tony was in a particularly bad mood from being late and from the very loud, very mean lecture Gibbs had given him. He had stopped thinking about the case and was now instead thinking of ways he could have not of been late. So far all he had come up with was not going to Ziva's or to have set an alarm clock on his phone. He wouldn't change staying the night with Ziva for anything and although he had been taught to anticipate was he really expected to have anticipated that he would fall asleep on Ziva's couch so he should set an alarm clock on his cell? If only traffic hadn't of been so bad maybe he wouldn't of been so late. He needed a jet so he could just fly to work or he could be like Superman and just throw on a cape. Then again tights never really were his fort`e. Spiderman would be cool he could just jump around with his spider webs and wouldn't ever have to worry about traffic again. Taking a look around the squad room to make sure no one was there or looking at him he held out his hand the way Spiderman did when he was using his spiderwebs. Tony laughed and did it again making a hiss sounding noise as he made the motion. He pointed it over at the other side of the cubicles, then up to the skylight; switching hands and using the hiss noise each time.

"Maybe _The Sound of Music_ does do something to mess you up," Ziva says as she stands behind Tony's cubicle wall watching, what very well looked like, Tony going completely insane. She had been standing there for at least a few good minutes watching him randomly point his hand out and make some strange sound.

"I was, um, well I was just imitating Spiderman," Tony confesses honestly and in return gets a very strange look from her.

"The man who was turned into a spider because he was bitten by one? I never did quite understand that."

"You never saw Spiderman? What do you watch?" Tony asks he may not be big on the comic books, but everyone has seen Spiderman.

"I read, Tony," Ziva says since she has never really been one for television. "The only time I watch movies is when you are with me."

"Well then we need to do more than watch Saw I guess," Tony says and sees a glimmer of a smile on Ziva before the elevator dings and the forensic scientist comes running out.

"Where's Gibbs?" she asks the excitement on her face very evident.

"I don't know," Tony says looking around the room to see if Gibbs was going to come up behind him. "Why, what'd you figure out?"

"Well, I was standing in my lab for like five minutes for Gibbs to walk in since I had just figured something big out and then I was out of Caf Pow so then I thought maybe something was wrong with our connection-"

"You were on the phone?" Ziva asks confused of why Gibbs wouldn't have just gone down there after he lost the call.

"No, Ziva our telepathy connection," Abby says as though it was the obvious other option. "But he never did come down. Have you guys seen him?"

"Not for a while, but what did you find?" Tony asks.

"I was running the DNA from the cheek swab we did on all the guys and I found that one of their DNA's matched what was on two of the ropes," Abby tells them looking around for Gibbs almost feeling bad for telling them before him. "The ones from victims five and six."

"Maybe our murder takes there rope too and he just touched the rope when his hands were sweaty, Abby," Ziva suggests.

"That could be possible. Except neither of the women were his wife."

"That's good work, Abby," Tony tells her. "Which guy was it?"

"Marcus Cortileso. He lives in Norfolk and works with a construction crew. He also has a flight leaving for Portirico in two hours," Abby informs them handing the slip of paper with the information to Ziva.

"Ziva you're with me. Grab your gear," Tony tells her opening his drawer and taking his gun out and loading it.

"We can not just leave, Tony. We need Gibbs' instructions first," Ziva says knowing better than to go do something that could alter the course of the case without Gibbs' consent first. Tony should too but she was convinced the mixture of sleeping on the couch and watching _The Sound of Music _had kind of messed him up.

"We don't have time to wait for Gibbs," Tony says and then Ziva pulls out her cell phone and hits speed dial.

"It is not like we can not just call him," Ziva says in an obvious way. "Abby's connection may be messed up but, ours isn't."

"I just thought of that when you mentioned it," Tony said trying to redeem himself. "Hey Abs have you seen Probie?" Tony had seen him chuckling over at his desk when he came in and Gibbs was lecturing him but not since.

"He was helping me. Said that he came up a few minutes ago but that it looked like you needed some time to yourself. What were you doing?" Abby asks curious to what he was doing that had McGee practically peeing his pants with laughter.

"He was imitating Superman," Ziva tells Abby. "Gibbs? Where are you Abby found something."

"Superman?" Abby says very curious of how you imitated Superman. "Did you write an 'S' on a post it and put on your shirt?"

"It was Spiderman, Zee-vah." Ziva simply shushes him as she fills Gibbs in on what they found.

"Gibbs said to call customs and warn them. Then go down there and bring him in for interrogation," Ziva says hanging the phone up only to have it begin ringing again. She takes one look at it before silencing it and placing it back in her pocket.

"Okay now grab your gear, Ziva," Tony says opening his drawer to take out his SIG only to realize he already has it. Ziva gives him a death look and then grabs her gun plucking the keys out of his hand and walking to the elevator. "Who-who said you could drive?" Tony asks with a nervous laugh.

Ziva looks at him and simply shrugs, "I suppose Gibbs did."

"Why would Gibbs say you could drive?"

"That is what you get for pissing Gibbs off," Ziva says with a smug smile.

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"Do you see him?" Tony asks while he and Ziva looked around the airport security searching for Marcus Cortileso.

"Yes, Tony I do that is why I am standing here with you looking at random people."

"Don't use sarcasm."

"Do not ask stupid questions."

"My question was not stupid," Tony says the two of them continuing to look around the room. Ziva stops for a second to give Tony a look which he catches a glance of, "Okay maybe it was slightly stupid but it's just something you ask while looking for someone. They do it in the movies all the time but when they do find the guy they...Do what you're doing now." Ziva slowly and relatively unnoticeable walked over to there suspect. "You could have said something," Tony tells her once he catches up.

"You would not stop talking," she says quietly as they get closer to Marcus.

"You just say shut up and then tell me. It's very effective and-"

"Shut up, Tony. It is as though you have stolen Abby's Caf Pow," she says just loud enough that Marcus here's. He looks over at the two agents who were, now, only a few yards away from him. He starts to make a dash in the opposite direction of them.

Tony and Ziva react quickly pulling out their guns and following him. "Federal agents! Stop!" Tony yells as he runs flashing his badge quickly to the cops who were beginning to surround them. "Can't these guys ever just stand still and let us cuff 'em?" Tony asks panting. He takes a look around only to find that Ziva is no longer running next to him and has instead dashed in front and has the man tackled to the ground.

Ziva smiles up at him and picks the man up off the floor, his hands now cuffed behind his back. "You rack off on that ship, DiNozzo?"

"The term is slack off, and for your information, no," he says and continues to try and catch his breath. "Okay maybe a little but there isn't anywhere to run on a boat."

"I thought it was a ship."

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When they reached back to the NCIS offices they put Marcus into interrogation room A and went to watch. "You think he did it?" Tony asked the agent and officer who were next to him.

"I think that Gibbs will find out if he did or not," Ziva says, but her mind is on something completely different. She knew that she should not let her personal matters get in the way of her work but she just could not seem to focus. She could not seem to forget what had happened, what was still to happen.

Gibbs walked into interrogation and did his usual bit of slamming the file down on the table. "Why'd you do it?"

"Do what? I didn't do anything!" Marcus exclaims very angry and upset over what was going on.

"What did you do? Well I'm not sure where to start," Gibbs says sitting down across from the man. "You resisted arrest for starters and what else was it?" Gibbs questions and opens the file as if to remember. " Oh yeah that's right," he says and smiles in his Gibbs way. "You killed these two women!" He yells pulling out the photos of the victims.

"I-i didn't kill anyone, Sir," Marcus says squirming a little now scared from Gibbs' outburst.

"Then why did you run?"

The suspect looks around as though to make sure no one else could hear. He then leans forward and whispers very quietly. "I had something in my bags."

"Something illegal I take it."

"Well maybe it was-"

"Don't try and tell me it wasn't now. Because people don't run from federal agents because they have nail clippers in their carry on."

Marcus sighs, "You're right, Agent Gibbs."

"What did you have?" Gibbs asks and the man make Son attempt to answer. "Drugs?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asks for the second time that day running into the watching room for interrogation.

"Where do you think, Abby?" McGee asks her sounding annoyed.

"What's your problem, Probie?" Tony questions the young agent.

"Nothing."

"His car is going to cost a lot of money to fix," Abby whispers to them and McGee gives her an angry look.

"Abby I told you-"

"That isn't important right now McGee! I need to talk to Gibbs."

"He's in interrogation, Abs and what do we all know about Gibbs and interrogation?"

"Not to interrupt him I know but this is like, big. It's bigger than big. It's ginormous bigger than that even, it's like bigger than that one girl's chest you were taring at yesterday Tony. Even bigger than-"

"Okay Abby we get it," Tony says as Ziva laughs a little.

"Tell him that Tony has something urgent to tell him," Abby demands the sound guy.

"Why me?"

"Because we all know about Gibbs and interrogation." Just as the sound guy is about to alert Gibbs Abby stops him. "Wait scratch that." He sighs and takes his finger off the button.

"I have a dead baby," The suspect confesses and everyone turns back to the window to watch Gibb's reaction.

"Why the hell do you have a dead baby in your bag!?" He demands of the cowering man.

"B-because I was taking her back to her family so she could have a proper burial and service in her country." Gibbs stares at him for a moment before speaking again.

"How did she die?"

"She was only a week old, and was born to early her mother died in child birth and she did not have a father I was her uncle. Her mother my sister." Marcus says staring down sadly.

"Why couldn't you just have the body shipped properly in a casket and that still doesn't explain why your DNA is on my evidence." Gibbs was getting aggravated with him and was not buying his story for a single second. Too many loose ends, too many other possibilities and whys.

"They would not let me!" He exclaims. "And how am I supposed to know how my DNA got on that rope?" Marcus asks and Gibbs leaves knowing that he had found one of the murderers. Just as he's about to exit he stops and turns back at Marcus, "I never said anything about a rope."

The rest of the team goes out and finds Gibbs walking towards the squad room. "You want us to go arrest him, boss?" Tony asks as they all catch up to him.

"Nope."

"But why not? He did it. He did do it right?" Tony asks now beginning to second guess everything.

"Yeah, DiNozzo of course he did, but I still don't know why he had a baby in his bags. Do you know anything about it, Abs?"

"No, I do fingerprints and drug testing, not babies. Ducky came and got her so you'll have to go find him for an answer." Abby informs him.

"Alright you and McGee run everything in that suitcase and I want to know who the parents of that baby are."

"Got it, Gibbs," she says and starts walking towards her lab only to turn back and grab McGee's hand dragging him along side her. "It's just a car McGee. I don't see what the problem is you're not Tony."

"It's not the car, Abby I just took to many painkillers."

"For what?"

"Yesterday when that cop tackled me. I was really sore when I got up and I took a few too many and now I'm a little drowsy."

"Well wake up, McGee! There is way too much stuff to go through for me to do it all on my own."

"I know, I know. I am awake," McGee says and Abby stares at him hardly.

"Okay lets go," she says and pulls his arm again.

"You two," Gibbs says pointing to a tired and uncleanly Tony and an unfocused and jumpy Ziva.

"Yeah, boss?" Tony asked awaiting orders.

"Go home. You look like crap," Gibbs tells them and walks away.

The two agents are left standing there turn to each other. "So you do know that you have to watch, not only_ Saw_ but now _Spiderman_ also, right?" Tony asks her and she smiles knowing what it is he is insinuating.

"Then we had better get busy, yes?"

"Yes indeed." Ziva smiles at him and he smiles back. "But I'm going back to my place and showering first."

"Please do."

"Ha ha very funny, Miss David."

"Oh I wish I were kidding," Tony shoots her a look and she laughs. He grabs her hand ad they walk to the elevators more than ready to go home, unwind, and just be together.

"Whoa, McGee did you see that?" Abby asks since they had still been standing in the squad room while McGee looked for his phone Abby had watch the two agents walk together laughing and holding hands.

"See what?" he questions drowsily.

"Just find your phone and let's go."

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**I really am not too sure about this chapter it's just sort of a filler more action in the next one I promise. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks to all who have already it is greatly appreciated! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is ridiculously long. I mean, if you intend to read it all in one sitting you should make sure you have extra food and water, kind of long. I spent all day writing this and it was even supposed to be longer but I figured that this was long enoguh for one chapter since it's about seven thousand words. So please read and tell me what you think.**

**I apologize if this chapter is not as good as usual but it took eerything in me just write this so I hope it's okay. Next chapter will be better I promise!**

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Today they were on time. Tony had anticipated and set an alarm so he could go home and shower before work. Last night Ziva had fallen asleep right during the middle of Saw, when Tony asked how she could possibly fall asleep while watching a movie like Saw she said, "Simple it had a ridiculous plotline and I saw that sort of stuff in Isreal all the time." He probably should have been slightly more surprised by her response than he was but in the past three years he had learned something about Ziva. There are many things that will surprise you about her so it isn't all that surprising when you find it out...Well at least not most of the time. Tony had fruitlessly tried to figure out what had been going on with her but, of course, got no where with her.

When Tony got to work he was surprised to see he was there before Ziva. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw he was twenty minutes early. Maybe it could help make up for yesterday. Tony sat down at his desk and then saw that McGee was already there. "Did you even go home, Probie?"

"Yes, Tony, but we got a lead and a lot of research needed to be done so I came in early today," McGee informed him and when he looked up he saw Tony giving him an expectant look. "Uhh, Good morning, Tony?"

"Want to fill me in on the case?"

"Oh, right you and Ziva went home last night. What's going on with you two anyway? Abby said that you were holding hands when you-"

"Probie!" Tony said definitely uncomfortable discussing his relationship, or not, with Ziva to McGee. Talking about the hot chick he went out with or the random sex he had over the weekend those were things that he could talk about, but when he actually really cares about someone...Definitely not something he wants to share with everyone.

"Um, Gibbs got Marcus to confess to the murders of victims five and six."

"Motive?" Tony asks before McGee can start to say anymore.

"He knew his sister was going to lose the baby since it had some congenital defect, but he didn't know his sister was going to die also. He was angry that these men and women were going to have children but his sister wasn't going to get to keep her baby. Then shortly after he found out about his sister's baby his wife was taken. He didn't know that his wife was connected to what he was doing," McGee says and then does a mental runthrough on what he said to make sure it made sense and that he covered all details.

"And he was taking his sister's baby to have it buried in Portirico?" Tony asked making sure he had his facts straight.

"That is right. He doesn't have any siblings besides his one sister, and he doesn't know who is behind the serial murders."

"But why would he want to make the other people go through what he did?" Tony knew that this was often a motive for murder but he never could comprehend why. Why someone would you want to make someone else as hurt, angry, broken and upset as you had been feeling just didn't make any sense to him. It's like when you're young and your brother hits you so you hit him back to let him know how it felt. Except this is taking it to the extreme and beyond. "So he just decided to kill a couple of women who were pregnant? How'd he know what to do?"

"He got phone calls with a weird automated voice, Abby's recovering the calls from his cell phone now, and he just did what they told him to. He said he felt guilty and was going to ease his concious by taking the baby to Portirico even though it was a huge risk."

"Anything else?"

"He gave us the letters. They were all typed, and none of them had been signed. They gave perfect clear-cut instructions on exactly what to do and how to do it. The letters also repeatedly told him that he would feel better after he had done this, that his pain would become someone elses." The man had broken down in interrogation, started sobbing and then offered to help with the case as much as he could. He also requested that they send they baby to Portirico, Gibbs had a meeting in MTAC later today to arrange that. McGee knew that Gibbs took pity on the man, he was naive and vulnerable, it didn't excuse what he did for a second, but when he asked Gibbs if he had ever lost someone important to him. McGee could almost hear and see what was going through Gibbs' mind. _Shannon. Kelly. Kate. Jenny._ That's when Gibbs assured him that they would find a way to get the baby's body safely shipped to Portirico, even if he had to take it there himself. "Ducky believes them to all of been written by the same person since the writing style seemed the same for all of them. And uh, well that's it...I think."

"Where's Gibbs now?"

"He went for coffee, again." It was about the third time since McGee had gotten there and he hadn't even been there for an hour.

"So what are you doing?" Tony asked wanting to help do something productive with the case.

"I'm doing more research on his backround."

"Any offences?"

"Nothing but a few speeding tickets and once he was charged with a DUI, but it was dropped," McGee read from the computer screen and then scrolled down. "This is weird."

"What?"

"It says here that he doesn't have any siblings."

"Just five minutes ago you said he didn't have any brothers or sisters besides the one that died," Tony recalls.

"Well yeah, when I was looking at his records last night I was only half awake, and I didn't think much when I read he had no siblings. It was just sort of in my mind that he had a sister."

"Did he really think we wouldn't figure this out?" Tony thought aloud. It still made him laugh when they would lie or try and cover something up. You would have thought that, by now, word would have gotten out that there is no getting something past Gibbs.

"I guess so. I'm sort of glad though, because at least this way I have something to tell Gibbs," McGee said. He had been stressing the whole time Gibbs was gone trying to find something to tell him once he came back. "He isn't exactly in a good mood."

"And I have nothing. Great I came in late yesterday and then left before everyone else, and today I'm here early but he isn't here to know that." Tony had been trying to think of ways to get back on Gibb's good side, although Gibbs was almost not mean to him last night.

"Well actually you and Ziva left together so you weren't really the first to leave," McGee points out without thinking.

"You don't when to drop something do ya, McPushy?"

"Uh, I just meant that you didn't-" McGee starts to say but decides of a better way to go. "Right, it's dropped, Tony."

"What's dropped?" Gibbs asks while walking by his coffee cup in hand.

"Um, well nothing, boss. I did find something though."

Gibbs stares at him expectantly. "You aren't Abby. I shouldn't have to say please."

"Right, well I was looking through Marcus's records again and I found that he does not have any siblings," McGee says and when Gibbs still doesn't talk he decides to say more. "Meaning that he doesn't have a sister. So whoever's baby that is, it isn't his sister's."

"Didn't you look through those last night?"

"Um, well yeah I did but I was kind of tired so..." McGee starts to say but once again knows that it is much better to just apologize, in a non-apologizing manner of course, than it is to try and defend yourself. "Yeah I did look through those last night but I just missed it. I messed up. I should always pay attention. No matter what it's about or what time it is."

"Don't apologize, McGee. It's a sign of weakness."

"I-i didn't," McGee thinks hard about his previous comment. Perhaps his subconcious apologized even though he knew better than to apologize to Gibbs.

"That sure as hell sounded like one, McGee," Gibbs tells him. "Always defend yourself if you believe that you're not at fault."

"Got it, boss."

"Well then, glad you finally found something," Gibbs says and starts to walk towards the elevator. "DiNozzo, with me!"

"On your six, boss." Tony follows him to the elevator and then turns back to grab his gear.

"You don't need that. Just come on," Gibbs says and Tony turns back around. He felt slightly ridiculous from all the back and forth and could see McGee laughing, out of the corner of his eye.

"So where are we going?" Tony asks once they're both inside and the doors have shut.

"No where." Gibbs flips the emergency stop switch and looks over at Tony who was positive that he was in some sort of trouble. "Do you know what the hell is going on with Ziva?"

"What?" Tony asks surprised by his question. Everyone knows that Gibbs cares but he's never been one to take someone else aside and ask about another. He was a confrontational man, to the one he wanted to talk to.

"Did I stutter?"

"No, boss. I don't," Tony says realizing the serious of the situation if Gibbs is paying special attention to it. He had still been hoping it was nothing, knew it was more than something.

"I want you watching her every move. Got it?" Gibbs questions. He already knew that they had been spending time together. It was something he would worry about, breaking rule twelve could cause serious problems, but Gibbs could read people very well, and what he read from the two of them told him that they needed each other.

"I got it, boss. What do I do at night though?" Tony questioned. Sure he was spending the night with Ziva again but Gibbs didn't know that.

"I thought she was supposed to watch Spiderman with you tonight," Gibbs says with a smug smile and flips the elevator switch so it starts back up. Tony stands there and made a mental note to search the office for microphones and video cameras. Because there is no way Gibbs coud know that unless he had assitance from equipment such as that or if he was God. Maybe Gibbs was God, sure could explain a lot of things. "If you find anything out, you come to me."

"I will. I swear."

"Good," Gibbs says and walks out of the elevator leaving Tony to standing still trying to figure out how Gibbs knew his and Ziva's plans. He slipped out just before the elevator doors closed. When Tony sits down at his desk he sees Ziva sitting across from him.

"How'd you get in here? Gibbs and I were in the elevator."

"We do have stairs, Tony," Ziva reminds him smiling. Typical Tony to forget that they had stairs. "So have you been read in on the updates of the case?"

"Yeah," Tony says and she stares at him waiting for him to continue.

"Well?"

"Go ask Probie."

"He said to ask you!" Ziva tells him just wanting someone to fill her in.

"Ask Gibbs."

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because I wasn't listening for most of it."

"Ah, Gibbs," Ziva says as the special agent walks by. "So what has happened since-"

"Ask DiNozzo."

"Will someone please, _please_, tell me what is going on with this case," Ziva asks losing her patience.

"Go ask Abby," Tony says. He would help her but he really wasn't entirely sure of the whole thing except that Marcus did not have a sister. Tony drops his cell phone, which he had been throwing up in the air and then catching for the past five minutes, so he bends down to pick it up. When he comes back up he sees Ziva's knife in a very close proximity to his throat. "I mean...his sister isn't his sister," Tony says and Ziva looks at him strangely but, in relief to Tony, puts her knife away.

"What do you mean?"

"His records state that he doesn't have any siblings, and Marcus confessed to the murders of the people we thought he killed," Tony says trying to recall everything. "He got letters, all typed and all from the same person, and he has a few speeding tickets and was charged with a DUI but it was dropped."

Ziva nods and walks back over to her chair leaning back and thinking for a moment before saying anything. "That is all." She says as more of a statement that a question.

"Of important things, yes."

"Tony?" Ziva asks her voice serious and quiet. This catches his attention he sits up in his chair as does she. Ziva looks around a minute before talking again, as though she wants to make sure no one else is listening. "My apartment is being sprayed for some sort of bug, and I do not really have anywhere to stay. I mean, I suppose I could stay with Abby but you would not want me to go back out on our deal, yes?"

Tony watched her eyes as she spoke. He saw fear, he knew she was lying about her apartment being sprayed, she would have mentioned it before. Ziva's scared. Tony doesn't have to think twice, "You aren't going to get out of watching Spiderman."

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Abby was standing in her lab and waiting impatiently for Gibbs to come down. They need to have a talk about this whole telepathy thing because this week he sure isn't showing up like he usually does. Abby takes one last look around the room and then sighs; she picks up the phone pressing the number on her speed dial to call Gibbs.

"Who ya calling?"

"Gibbs!" she says and gives him a hug. "I knew that you knew that I had something."

"Well what have you got, Abby?" Gibbs asks and she turns back to her computer, her fingers moving quickly over her keyboard until a sound analysis board pops up.

"A recovered phone call, and an empty Caf Pow."

"Phone call first," Gibbs tells her.

"Alright Gibbs, but just know this took a lot of work."

"Meaning?"

"Well nothing really. I just wanted to tell you that I put a lot of work into doing this."

"You will get your Caf Pow, Abby," Gibbs assures her and she stares at him which he does in return. After a few seconds she turns back to her computer and presses the keys on so a weird distorted sound starts to filter throughout the room. Then a voice comes on instructing on where to dump the bodies, when to do it, and how to kill them right up to the torture mark the killer clearly wanted Marcus to have. "Is that the only one you have?"

"Yea Gibbs, the other times he was talking to him on a pay phone."

"Can you mess with the hertz or octaves or anything to change the voice?" Gibbs asks.

"If you want his voice higher pitched or louder, yeah I can do that. It's a computer genereated voice Gibbs there is no way to change it. But I do have the time that Marcus talked to our little group organizer." Abby says pressing the print button and the printer begins whirring.

"Here," Gibbs says and hands her the drink that keeps her alive and functioning. "What time?"

"At one A.M. a month and a half ago on a Tuesday."

"That's good work, Abs," Gibbs says and begins leaving.

"Wait Gibbs there's more," he turns back to Abby smiling. "I know who's playing baby daddy."

"Who is it?"

"A certain fellow down in interrogation who seems to enjoy incest," Abby tells him.

"She wasn't his sister," Gibbs says and walks out of Abby's lab leaving her alone again.

"Maybe I should talk to you like Ducky talks to bodies," Abby says talking to one of her dolls.

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Tony and ZIva had been instructed to go to interrogation and talk to Marcus some more, but not to fill him in that they knew more than he thought. Tony walks in and drags a chair over to a corner of the table and starts flipping through Marcus's file; Ziva stands over in the corner behind Marcus which you could tell freaked him out as he kept looking over his shoulder.

"So Mark, can I call you Mark? Was it a boy or a girl?" Tony asks referring to only baby the knew were supposed to know is his.

"We didn't know yet. Her appointment was the day after she went missing," he says and looks behind him again and watched as ZIva hovered behind him. "Could you not do that?"

"No."

"Did you have a preference?"

"Uh, I was kind of hoping for a little girl. Can you ask her not to do that?" Marcus asked.

Tony laughs before he answers. "Yeah, no I can't. Did your wife and sister get along?"

"Um, yeah I-i guess. They didn't, like go shopping together or anything, but they didn't hate each other."

"What about you and your wife? Did you get along with her?" Tony was talking as if they were just having a friendly conversation. Trying to break him without him being aware.

"Yeah, I loved her we were happy. D-do you think I killed? Because I didn't. I swear I didn't!"

"Yeah we know, I was just asking a question." Marcus was definitely not the interrogation kind of guy. He seemed like the kind of guy who would feel guilty about giving someone two aspirin when the bottle instructs to take two. "So what else do you know, Mark?" Tony asks and Ziva gets a bit closer.

"N-nothing. I told you I already said all I knew." Ziva inches a bit closer and pulls her SIG out of it's holster.

"Hey, Zi, how much trouble is this guy in?" Tony asks and Ziva puts the barrel of her gun next to his temple.

"Well, there's the charge of murder and one for resisting arrest and withholding information during a criminal investigation. Then there is lying," she says and presses the cold metal of the gun against his head.

"She's not my sister!" Marcus suddenly yells. Ziva keeps the gun to his head. "I was having an affair and I was going to leave my wife but then she got pregnant too!"

"Have you ever heard of condoms?" Tony asked.

"What else?" Ziva questions pushing the gun in further. "Who was calling you?"

"I really don't know that. I swear, but I have seen someone else at the dumping ground once."

"Who?" Ziva asks and when he doesn't answer she takes the safety off of her gun. "Who did you see?"

"One of the other guys who was here. He was putting food on the table where they all sit."

"Didn't you see your wife at that table?" Tony asks. Marcus must have seen her. His wife was taken before he murdered the other women so when he placed her he should have seen his wife.

"Not until after. I was instructed to take food to the table also."

"So did everyone who was in on it bring food?" Tony asked and Marcus nervously looked at Ziva who still hadn't removed the weapon.

"I-i guess I'm not really sure."

"Which man was it?" Ziva asks getting close to his ear so he flinches.

"I don't know I would have to see them all again."

"Has he tried contacting you since?" Tony questions and Marcus shakes his head which was rather awkward since the gun was still there.

"No, he didn't contact me after he called me on the pay phone to giv eme instructions on where to place the food and what food to place."

"David, DiNozzo, enough," Gibbs tells them walking into interrogation. Except instead of him taking over, as they had originally planned, he walked out with the two agents. "The woman he was having an affair with didn't die in child birth. She was murdered."

"How?" Ziva asks not believing that it had Marcus who had done it.

"She was given a drug overdose to make it look as though she did die due to natural causes."

"Marcus knows one of the-"

"Other killers. I know DiNozzo, I was watching you two."

"And?" Tony asks. He felt that he had done a pretty sufficient job of it.

"Not bad, but the next time you point a gun a someones head with the safety turned off you better make sure you actually want to kill him," Gibbs says and walks away. "DiNozzo you're with me. McGee's helping Abby. Ziva, you get the pictures of all the men and bring in whoever it was Marcus saw," he says and turns to leave.

"Did you actually have bullets in there?" Tony asks and Ziva laughs.

"I always do, Tony."

"DiNozzo!"

"On your six," Tony says and follows after him with a slight sprint so he could catch up.

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"We're looking for the doctor of Alehandra Sanchez," Gibbs tells the receptionest holding up his ID and badge.

"What's NCIS?" she asks and Tony sighs before responding.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We need to get some sort of recognition, boss. Like a poster or a movie or TV series. Hey, maybe the creator of Magnum PI could do it!" Tony says getting excited and starting to think of which actor could play him.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs says and Tony snaps back to reality forgetting his dreams of the hundreds of possibilities of brilliant actors who could play him.

"Shutting up, boss," Tony said surprised at the lack of stinging on the back of his head.

"How do you spell her name?" the receptionist asks and types in the name as Tony spells it out. He had to look down at the paper a lot but he did eventually get it right. "He is with a patient at the moment but he should be out soon."

"Thanks," Tony says and walks over to where Gibbs is standing. "So do you think the guy Marcus saw is the one behind all this?"

"No, he was manipulated like Marcus."

"They weren't really manipulated, boss. I mean they did-"

"You ever lose someone you love, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks even though he already knows the answer. The question is more of a way to get Tony to understand a little better.

"Well, yeah boss. More than once."

"And how did you feel after that?"

"Not like I would kill someone!" Tony says louder than necessary.

"If someone came to you and said he knew a way to make you forget, even if it was something you normally would ever do, would you take him up on it?" Gibbs asks and Tony doesn't answer for a minute.

"No." Gibbs gives him the stare before they're interrupted.

"Ah, Agents..."

"Gibbs and DiNozzo," says Gibbs filling the doctor in after he had faded out.

"What can I do for you?" he asks.

"We just need to ask you a few questions about your patient Alehandra Sanchez. She was a patient of yours who died during child birth a few days ago." Tony says pulling out his notebook and pen to write down any information the doctor can give them.

"Oh yes, the poor woman went through fifteen hours of labor only to have both her and her child die. Such a shame really."

"Did anyone come visit her while she was in labor?" Tony asks.

"Only her half-brother. No friends, no parents, no father," the doctor tells them and Tony copies it down.

"Her half-brother?" Gibbs inquired. Marcus never said anything about only being a half-brother.

"I assumed so. They didn't have the same last name and she isn't married. I just figured he was only her half-brother."

"No one else was in the room?"

"Besides nurses and doctors, no."

"I want a list of everyone who went in or out of that room," Gibbs tells the doctor.

"I can do that for you. May I ask why though?" the doctor questions and moves over to the water fountain taking a drink from the small plastic cup.

"Alehandra didn't die durning child birth. She was murdered by drug overdose while she was in your hospital," Gibbs says and the doctor simply nods.

"I'll fax those names over to you ASAP."

"Thanks for your time doctor," Tony says and they turn and leave. "Looks like Marcus still isn't telling us everything."

"Yes he is. He may have killed those two woman but there's no way in hell he killed Alehandra."

"How do you know, boss?" Tony asks stupidly but he wanted to know how Gibbs could be so sure.

"You mean besides my gut?" Gibbs asks Tony and he nods. "Because I saw the look on his face when he talked about her."

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"Okay I killed those two women! I-i just couldn't help it. He said it would go away if I did." Marcus had been able to point out who he saw and now Ziva was interrogating him. Officer David style.

"Who said what would go away?" she asks and continues to circle the table.

"I don't know! I didn't know his name he just sent me these letters and I got these weird phone calls with th-this distorted voice. He said I wouldn't miss my wife so much if I killed those people. I'm sorry I didn't know what else to do!" Ziva feels some sympathy for the man as he begins to sob uncontrollably. She stops circling him and instead sits down across from him.

"We will need the letters and your cell phone," she tells him and he nods handing her his phone. He tells her where the letters are in his house and passes her a key. "Now what else do you know. Any information can help us."

"I saw one of the men who was here the other day. I saw him at the place where we put all the bodies."

"The same one who saw you, yes."

"No, not Marcus a different man. The one with Australian accent," he tells her and she grabs her cell phone from her pocket to call Gibbs. Maybe he can pick this one up and save her the trouble.

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"I couldn't help it! He told me that I would no longer miss her if I did it," The next man, Jerry Carthrach, was now in interrogation this time with Tony asking the questions.

"Who told you that? Wait, no let me guess, you got letters and a few phone calls with some weird voice giving you instructions?" Tony says not really guessing at all."

"Yes mate that is exactly how it happened! I normally never would have done such a terrible tradgedy to these women but I felt like I had to."

"What else do you know?" Tony questions the man who sighs and then answers the question.

"I saw one of men who was here once when I was-"

"Putting more food on the table," Tony says answering the question. "Which guy did you see?"

"The one who didn't take off the shades. That's how I remember him so well. He was wearing them the time I saw him even though it was night. The sort of thing you remember, Ay."

Tony presses the speed dial on his phone ad Gibbs, who is right in the observation room answers. "Boss, I'm starting to sense a pattern."

"Me too, DiNozzo."

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"I took my wife's disapperance rather hard so when I heard there was a way to forget about how I felt I jumped at it. Now I realize the errors of that choice. I apologize and I am prepared for my punishment," the next man was being the most cooropative person who had ever step foot in interrogation. He had remembered every detail from the beginning and didn't even try to deny what he did.

"Of course Probie get's the one who stands still and _asks_ to be hand cuffed," Tony said. When he wnet to retrieve Jerry he had stubbed his toe and it now had a very good sized bruise on it.

"I did see someone else at the crime scene..." McGee sighs and just walks out.

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"How could I have possibly..." Abby says murmuring to herself.

"You look like you could use this," Gibbs says setting her favorite drink on her desk as she stared at the computer.

"I don't get it Gibbs!" she yells looking very upset.

"Get what, Abby?"

"Well a lot of things like, for instance, if he had so much power why didn't he just give some of it to her and keep some for himself so they could both live that way-"

"What?" Gibbs asks staring at her as if she was crazy.

"Stopping looking at me like I just said you had a UFO on your head, Gibbs. Which would be weird for two reasons one because you don't believe in thema nd two because they're really way too big to fit on your-"

"Abby!"

"Sorry, Gibbs. I don't get how I missed everyone's DNA but Marcus's. The timeline matches up so I should have Jerry and shade man, but their DNA isn't the same on the rope! So either that means that people have been changing the ropes, different people since there's different DNA, or well that's all I can think of but it doesn't make much sense."

"It does, Abby," Gibbs tells her. "They're trying to throw us off. They didn't think we'd make it this far and you only found Marcus's DNA on one of the ropes meaning one had already been changed."

"So I'm not going crazy?" Abby asks.

"No, but I might if these pieces don't start to connect."

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"Okay so let's put everything we have together," Tony said as the group all sat together in the center of the room camp fire style. "From the beginning."

"Alright," McGee says starting first. "There are people who take a pregnant woman every week and then torture and kill her. The women are taken in pairs and every pair has a certain torture mark on them depending on the killer."

"There seems to be one man behind this all and has been telling the other men that if they were to kill the next two women that they will forget about the hurt from their wives, which have been killed by the same thing, so they do it without asking questions." Ziva says next and then Tony picks up from where she left off.

"Now someone seems to be changing all the ropes that contain the bodies to chairs so that way, the killer figured, we wouldn't be able to figure out that these men who have lost their wives or girlfriends are the ones now doing this," Tony says and they all lean back and think.

"There is also the woman who was murdered after she had her baby which was a still born," Ziva reminds them and they all sigh.

"Do you think that whoever killed Alehandra could also be the one who killed all of these women?" McGee asks breaking the silence.

"It's possible but why would he target her?" Tony asks. There are a ton of women who give birth everyday. Why would he choose her?

"What about motivation? Why would he be doing this?" McGee questions which gets everyone thinking.

"Who says it's a man, McGee?" Gibbs asks as he walks in the room.

"Uh, well no one I was just saying..." McGee says and then just sort of stops talking.

"I got the list from the hospital," Gibbs says and everyon stands up from the circle and walks over to Gibbs' desk. "Marcus says that he left the room twice for no more then five minutes each time. He said that there was no suspicious behavior when he was in the room."

"Well someone could just drug her through her IV," McGee points out and Gibbs looks at him.

"I know that, McGee. They must have done it when he wasn't there because no one touched her IV bag when he was in the room." Gibbs' phone begins to ring so he picks it up, "Yeah, Gibbs." Excited quick paced talking can be heard on the end and everyone knows that it's Abby. "On my way." Gibbs starts walking away, "Come on."

"Okay are we all ready for this?" Abby asks.

"Abby."

"Can't you just let me have my moment Gibbs?" Abby asks and when he stays quiet for a minute she feels satisfied and continues. "Alright my first bit of news is that I found that the doctor who took care of Alehandra lost his wife and child a few years ago when she died in a car accident. He then went to a mental facility for a couple months but was released and was fine as long as he took his medication." Abby says and stops for a second taking a big slur from her drink. "Then I found that he has a sister who has never been able to conceive. Then I ran the DNA Gibbs gave me and-"

"What DNA?" Tony interrupts. Last he checked he never got DNA from the doctor.

"From the cup. Now shush, the DNA from the saliva on the cup matches the sweat on two of the ropes and I'm sure if I tested his sister her DNA would match the other pair," Abby says looks at everyones faces. Tony still looks confused about the cup, McGee looks relieved that they finally figured this out, Ziva looks...distracted?

"Good work, Abby," Gibbs says and walks out of the room Ziva and Tony following after him but McGee stays behind for a second.

"How did you figure all of that out? About his hsitory and stuff," McGee asks since Abby is a forensic scientist not an agent.

"Gibbs told me to check him out while you all played games upstairs. His gut told him something," she says and McGee nods. "I'd suggest you follow him or else his gut is going to be telling him that a head slap is in order." Abby tells McGee who runs out after the others.

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"Dr. Craig Hanson," Gibbs says to the receptionist who picks up the phone to page him.

"And who can I tell him wants him?" she asks.

"His sister," Gibbs answers knowing that if she were to say NCIS he'd make a mad dash for the Mexican border. The receptionist sends out her page and Gibbs pulls out his gun, after showing his badge so the woman wouldn't freak out. The doctor freezes when he sees the agents and the gun. He looks around as though searching for a way out but doesn't and instead just puts his hands over his head. Ziva walks over and cuffs him and begins escorting him out while Tony reads him his amendment thrity-three rights.

"I just wanted them to know how it feels," the doctor says as they walk through the parking lot over to the car.

"Yeah that's the part that makes you sick," Tony says and stuff the man in the back seat slamming the door behind him.

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"Today has just felt like one long, never ending day," Tony says as he turns off his desk light and grabs his things. Ziva follows his suit.

"You are right about that," she says and they walk into the elevator. Ziva stifles a yawn trying to cover it up as a cough. "I am going to stop at my apartment and get my things and then I will be over, okay?"

"Yeah, sure but I thought they were spaying for bugs at your place." Tony says. On a day when she was not exhausted Ziva would never make this kind of error, but today she would be surprised if she didn't just fall asleep while driving home.

"Yes, well not until early tomorrow," she says and Tony says nothing but just nods.

The elevator doors open and the agents walk out and walk to where their cars are which are parked next to the other's. "I will see you in a few minutes?" Ziva says as more of a question than a statement.

"Yeah but you had better stay awake through the movie tonight," Tony tells her with a smile since he knows that there is no way she will stay awake through all of Spiderman.

"I would not number on it."

"Count on it," Tony corrects and she just rolls her eyes and gets in her car. She leans back against the seat and closes her eyes for a moment. It was a good thing she was going to Tony's because she sure needed a decent nights rest and he was the only one who could help make that happen.

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**Congratualtions! If you have made it this far you have won a fabulous opportunity to review. *Crowd gasps at amazing offer* The next chapter will reveil the answers to many questions and the sooner you review the quicker I will update. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed in the past and to those who will in the future it's what keeps me going. Have a good weekend :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Ziva walked into the apartment complex and began climbing the stairs to the third floor where Tony's residence was. She sighed as she reached his number and opened the door without bothering to knock. The warmth of his apartment quickly embraced her pulling her from the cold, poorly lit hallway. She set her bag down on the kitchen counter but made no move to take off her coat, still recovering from the below freezing weather outside. Her eyes darted around the room searching for him but finding no one. She had not seen his car in its usual parking spot but had not thought much of it, perhaps he just stopped somewhere before coming home. She took the opportunity to look around. She had been at his apartment many times before, they usually alternated back when they used to have their frequent movie nights, but she never had the chance to really look at it.

It was messy yet in a neat way and she could tell that he had been in a rush this morning since the milk and frosted flakes box were still out. Ziva laughed, only Tony would have the family sized box of frosted flakes. She looked in at the bedroom which she had previously only caught glances of. There wasn't anything spectacular or special about it. It was your average bachelor's bedroom. Scattered clothes, unmade bed, box of pizza on the bedside table, wait no, that was average Tony. On his table next to the pizza there was the picture of Abby he had up in his room back on the ship, there was also one of the pictures of her in the bikini which she had figured he still had. He had one of the whole gang, including Jenny, that had been taken under mandatory reasons. Ziva took notice of the way Abby's eyes showed there usual joy, the way McGee was partly blocked, how Ducky looked as though he had been talking when the picture was shot. Gibbs looked liked his usual self only more unhappy since he was forced to have his picture taken, Palmer was only half in the picture since he had been at the edge of the lineup. She had to blink back a few tears as she looked at Jenny who was laughing at something someone had told her, she didn't look like the director but more so a part of the family that they had created. She saw how Tony had his arm around her own waist. Ziva found it surprising that she didn't remember that, she didn't even remember a good portion of the day that the picture had been taken.

She changed her line of vision from the pictures on his bedside table to the ones on his dresser. There were only three, the first she recognized as Paula Cassidy Ziva had nearly forgotten about her but when she saw the picture she remembered that day, that moment, she suddenly remembered a whole lot. The next was of Jenny smiling, looking happy and so alive, Ziva wondered how long she knew she was dying before she gave her life up to protect them. The next was of someone Ziva had known of yet never had the chance or the privilege to meet, it was of Special Agent Kate Todd. _She's very pretty_, was one of Ziva's first thoughts. The next was of how she died, it was from the man who was supposed to of been her brother, the man who had previously been her hero, the man she had killed. Ari was still a frequent visitor to her thoughts, sometimes it was of when they were younger and happier, when he would protect her and look out for her. Other times it was of when he was older how angry he got after his mother died, after their father killed her. She would remember what a monster he became, and then she would remember the words she had heard him say that day in Gibbs' basement, the ones that revealed questionable truths to her. Questions which she was beginning to find her own answers in.

Ziva had always wanted to know more about the special agent. She had heard mentions of her and she remembered the night of which she had gone down to Abby's lab only to find the usual peppy and happy forensic scientist curled up in a corner with Burt held close to her. Abby's mascara had turned into black streaks and her hair was in pig tails even though earlier that day it had been in two braids. When Ziva had approached her and asked her as to why she was so distraught Abby informed her of what had happened exactly one year ago; of the phone call she had received and how it had been the last time she ever got to see her best friend. Abby told Ziva that night of exactly why she didn't like Ziva when she originally came to NCIS and then continuously apologized sobbing all the harder. They had then sat there for well over an hour. Ziva was surprised that no one had been down there, especially Gibbs since he was always the one who would come and sit and comfort Abby. Then she remembered that everyone was affected by this day that everyone had lost a partner and even more, a friend. Ziva remembered that day and it became tradition for her and Abby to sit in that same spot. The second year Abby had cried but not the third or the fourth, those years they were silent and Ziva even wondered if Abby even wanted her there but that was quickly answered when Abby told her how glad she was that Ziva came every year even though one year they weren't even supposed to be at work.

Ziva had always wondered about Kate but she never asked. If her name was brought up she would listen intently and would register the looks everyone seemed to have. Sadness, happiness, and pain. Ziva always felt sad about what had happened to Kate but then felt such happiness that the result of it had brought her to where she found her peace. She would hate herself for such selfish thoughts, such terrible truths.

Ziva walks out of the bedroom and over to Tony's famous DVD collection. There are hundreds of DVDs stacked against the wall next to the television. Everything from the original King Kong to the I Love Lucy DVD box sets to the third or fourth remake of The Incredible Hulk, along with all of it's predecessors of course. She spots Spiderman and slides it out of it's slot examining it.

The door opens and she looks over at Tony who has a pizza in one hand and microwavable popcorn in the other. "Make yourself at home why don't you," Tony says when he sees Ziva sitting on the couch Spiderman in hand and her coat off and bag placed on the counter.

"It sure took you an awful long time to get a pizza," Ziva comments. She had been there well over ten minutes and she had stopped at her place before to pickup her things.

"Yeah well I was half way home with the pizza when I remembered I was out of popcorn so I had to go back," Tony explains. "You can't watch a classic like Spiderman without popcorn."

Ziva gives a nod, her eyebrows slightly raised. She makes her way into the kitchen and opens the cupboards searching for something.

"I know I said to make yourself at home but you could just ask." She finds what she wants and pulls it out of the cupboard along with two glasses. Tony gets a glance at what it is, whiskey. "You trying to seduce me?" Tony asks and sets down the pizza and popcorn on the counter next to the sink.

Ziva walks close to him, so close she can feel his breath on her face. "I do not think it would take any alcohol to seduce you, Tony," she says with a sly smile. She twists off the cap of the two-thirds full bottle of whiskey and pours herself a glass taking a small sip. "We are going to watch a movie, yes?" she says and walks over to the couch, taking her drink and a slice of pizza with her.

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Of course neither of them had stayed awake for the whole movie, Ziva barely stayed awake through the opening credits. So once again they crashed on the couch, Ziva's feet curled up on the side next her, her head resting on Tony's chest who had his feet up on the coffee table and head slumped to the side. Tony opened his eyes slightly and noticed that Ziva was no longer next to him and that the TV had been turned off. He sat up and looked around and he saw her sitting at the table, glass of whiskey in hand. He watched as she tipped the cup back taking a long pull from it, he watched her eyes how they were shut tight as she drank and would open when she set it down. She looked at the empty cup in her hand and frowned she then picked up the whiskey bottle and poured a good amount more, her hand shaking so much that some misses the cup in the process. Ziva lifts the cup up to her lips again and takes more to drink than it looks like she can handle but she somehow swallows it all. Her breathing is heavy, he notes, and it looks as though she could just start sobbing at any second. She doesn't though, he can almost see thoughts racing through her mind and he watches as a pained expression crosses her face and then she picks the glass up again draining all of the liquid that was left in it.

Tony wants to say something, tell her everything is alright, but he doesn't. Tony wants to do something, pull her close to him and let her cry if she wants to, but he doesn't. He watches.

Ziva looks over at him and notices that he is awake. Her eyes linger on him and then her eyes linger on his; not moving not hiding anything, talking so she doesn't have to. "He is trying to kill me," Ziva says quietly and then laughs. "He is trying to murder me!" She says this loudly as if proclaiming it and laughs more. Tony notes that even though she is extremely drunk her words are barely slurring. She picks up the whiskey and pours another glass full and then drinks a good portion of it. "My father, the one who raised me and taught me everything I know. The one who taught me how to kill!" Ziva tells him. "The one who taught me how to kill is trying to kill me. That is funny, yes?" she says and laughs again as though someone has just told a particularly funny joke. Another drink. "Because I know too much! I know what he is going to do," she laughs all while she talks. Like her laughing is her breathing.

"Besides kill me that is. He wants to bomb them!" Ziva says pointing her finger in a random direction and then slapping it back down on the table. Another drink. "And I, I know that, and I will tell. I can not tell if I am dead though. So I need to tell before I am so that he doesn't blow everyone up like Tali." Ziva rarely mentions Tali or Ari or her mother or her father but tonight she does not even know the words she is saying, the truths she is revealing. Another drink. The glass is empty. She pours more. "I know why you did this now," she says taking a drink and laughing. The laugh causes some to spill from her mouth and onto the table. Tony watches her, his heart breaking as he listens to everything she has been keeping inside, all the secrets she couldn't reveal no matter how desperately she wanted to. "He was right," she whispers and he sees her blinking back tears. Even in a drunken state Ziva David will not show her tears. "Ari was right." It is as though she is confessing this to herself. "Our father is nothing but a bastard and a monster." A tear finds its way down her cheek and then another. Soon she is silently crying. Ziva does not even seem to be aware of this though.

Tony's heart breaks even more as he watches her drink more trying to get rid of the feeling that are so clearly written in her eyes. All the pain, anger, hurt, sadness, she wants to forget it all. Drink every bit of it away. Tony knows what that's like, how she feels. It never worked for him. He may have forgotten about Jenny but never about her, the one who sat a few yards away from him. He watches as the strongest person he has ever known, next to Gibbs, breaks down. Ziva does not break down; she gets angry, she snaps back at everyone, but Ziva David does not break down.

Tony notices that she is shivering, she doesn't seem to be aware of it thought. Tony, unlike Ziva, doesn't have a blanket just laying around so he slowly gets up and walks over to her and carefully pulls her to her feet. He keeps an arm wrapped around her and guides her to the bedroom laying her down on the bed and covering her with blanket that was rumpled in the corner of his unmade bed. Tony lays down next to her and just holds her hand. He listens as she begins to snore, even louder due to the alcohol. But Tony does not sleep he just wonders how her own father could kill her. How her own father was betraying not only his alliances but his daughter. Tony couldn't let that happen, he couldn't let someone murder her, not Ziva.

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**Well the secret's out. I hope that this chapter was okay. I had a bit of a hard time writing it and I just hope I was able to keep them in character. Please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Ziva groans as she opens her eyes, immediate pain intercepting her as soon as she did. It was still mostly dark outside; Ziva could see that the sky was turning the reddish pinkish color it did just like every morning when she would go for her run. Ziva could forget about her jog today. She could barely sit up never mind go run eight miles. She felt nauseous and like there had been an explosion in her skull. Last night was mostly a blur so she wasn't surprised when she saw Tony in bed next her. She wouldn't have been surprised if she had woken up in Mexico because after she got that whiskey bottle out who knows what she did.

Tony was snoring next to her and she noticed that her hand was entwined with his. She quickly looked down making sure she was still fully clothed. Ziva knew that Tony wouldn't take advantage of her but who knows how much he had to drink. She relaxes when she sees that the only thing that had been removed was her shoes. Ziva tries to remember something, anything, about last night but the last thing she remembered was falling asleep while some climatic music was playing in the back round and then waking up and puring herself a drink or two or eight. She tried sitting up but decided against it when she gets dizzy just from slightly lifting her head.

Last night she was drunk. Ziva David does not get drunk. The last time she ever remembered having too much to drink was when they whole team had been out at the bar. The whole team except Tony. He said he would be there but wasn't. She remembered Ducky asking her about her feelings for Tony. She remembered her response had been a lie.

All Ziva wanted to do right now was close her eyes and go back to sleep, well that and throw up. She knew she couldn't though; she needed to get up, shower, eat. Okay maybe not eat. She pulled her hand from Tony's grasp and once again attempted to sit up. She sat up slightly and pulled the pillow up behind her so she could lean back comfortably on the headboard. Tony woke up from the movement and looked over at Ziva. "Well if it isn't Rachel," Ziva stares at him blankly not understanding what it was his reference meant. "Come on you can't tell me you never saw... You know what never mind," Tony says and sits up and gives her a smile. "How you feeling?" Tony asks as he takes in the appearance of Ziva. Her hair was as curly and out of control as ever, the make up she wears had been smudged from sleep and from tears. Tony remembered his first major hang over, he was in college and had a mid term that day, he ended up taking that class the next year too.

"I have felt better after being shot," Ziva says and he laughs. That sounded about right.

"Yeah, you had some fun with my whiskey last night," Tony says and remember what she had told him, the truth she had confessed. "He is trying to kill me," Tony could heard those words over and over in his mind last night. "The one who taught me how to kill is trying to kill me!" Those words were what kept him from a restful sleep. "Ari was right." Those words had been followed by a series of quiet tears from the one person who he had never seen cry and made him want to do the same.

"I do not even remember what happened." Tony figured she wouldn't, it was another common occurrence in college for him. At least she woke up next to someone she knew.

"Nothing?"

"Drinking, that is about it," Ziva told him.

"I'm gonna get you some aspirin. You should call Gibbs and tell him you're sick," Tony suggests and swings his leg over the side of the bed stepping on to the cold floor. "I'll be right back."

Ziva sighs and squeezes her eyes tightly shut. A flash of memories come rushing back to her. Pain. Drinking. Laughing. Hurting. Crying. Confessions. _I didn't actually tell him did I? _Ziva wonders hoping it was just a dream, a nightmare. She remembered trying to drink every painful memorie away, trying to forget it all. She remembered Tony helping her to bed and taking off her shoes, holding her hand just like he was this morning. She didn't dream it, she told him. Everything she had been keeping to herself she told him. All the secrets, the hurt, the pain, the truth it was all out in the open now.

"Here," Tony says and hands her the aspirin and a glass of water. "I know they say to only take two but I think you could use a little extra." Ziva stares down at the four aspirin that were in her hand. She pops them all in her mouth and take a large drink of water. She makes a face of disgust once she swallows the pills. "Yeah, even water doesn't taste good and water's not supposed to have taste. You know it's funny when I was in college the only thing that tasted good when I had a hangover was-"

"Tony," Ziva says stopping him from the ramble he was going on. It was inevitable that they would have to discuss even if Ziva would usually argue that nothing is inevitable.

"Ziva," Tony says jokingly but when he sees her face he knows that she needed to talk to him. All jokes aside.

"I remember last night," she says quietly and Tony wants to make a joke make the awkwardness go away. Make the sad look in her eyes go away. "I told you, yes?"

"Yeah, you told me," Tony says and then thinks for a minute. "Well, sort of you told me what _he_ was going to do," Tony says spitting out the word 'he' as if it causes an unpleasant taste in his mouth. "But not why. Something about a bomb."

"Yes, my father is planning a terrorist attack and has been for a while now," Ziva tells him and drinks from the cup wishing it was the same comforting poison she drank last night. "I accidentally found out about it, and once my father caught breeze of that fact he knew he would have to kill me since I would tell." Tony contemplates correcting her idiom mistake but decided to just let her talk. Afraid if he moved or talked she would stop, stop supplying him with the answers he had been searching for for weeks now. "All of the phone calls I have been receiving have been from him trying to make a deal with me. To make me not tell. A few days ago he said unless I swore to keep my mouth shut he would kill not only me but you too. This is why I had not alerted the authorities. I was then informed, from someone in Mossad, that my father had every intention to kill me unless I came back to Mossad."

"Who told you?"

"Someone who owes me a favor," Ziva says.

"You should have told someone, Ziva."

"Don't you think I know that?" Ziva asks raising her voice but regrets it when she realizes how sensitive her ears are. "I knew that the situation had to be dealt with very delicately and I had every intention to inform Gibbs as soon as I had figured the best way to carry this out."

"You should have told me," Tony says. "You should have trusted me."

"I do trust you, Tony. You are the reason I did not just go to Gibbs in the first place!" Ziva stood up tired of feeling restricted to the bed.

"Great so now you're blaming it on me!" Tony yells and a pained expression crosses her face from both the hangover and his words. She recovers from it quickly though.

"I am blaming nothing on you! Stop reading so much into what I am saying!" Ziva says in a yell-whisper. "I needed to think, work things out best I could. I was trying to protect you." Ziva jabs her finger at him nearly missing his chest.

"You should be trying to protect the country, not just me!"

"I needed to do both. It is one thing when it was my life I was endangering it is another when your's is included." Tony stares at her. He was angry with her for not telling him, not telling anyone. At that moment though he had so many thoughts circling in his mind he wasn't sure what he was thinking. Anger was the easiest. Caring was the most prominent.

"Were planning on ever telling anyone?"

Ziva is surprised by him asking her that. She expected many responses from him but not anything like that. "How could you ask such a thing?"

"Israel is your country and you were making no move of informing anyone. How can I not assume it?"

"Because you know me!" she says. Ziva had thought her father was hurting her, but the pain she was feeling from Tony's accusations was much worse. "Or at least I believed that you did. Maybe that was a mistake, yes."

"What if he killed you before you had told anyone? What if he killed you, and since you were too afraid to tell anyone hundreds others lost their lives too?!"

"I was going to tell someone as soon as I figured out the best way to explain it!" Ziva says defending herself the best she could while feeling like someone was repeatedly hitting her head with a mallet.

"When would that of been? Would it of been before you were laying on a slab in autopsy?" Tony wasn't exactly mad at her but when he thought of what could have happened...What could still happen.

"Yes it would have been." They stare at each other. Neither knowing what to say and not daring to say some of the things they wanted to say. "I will see you at work I suppose." Ziva tells him and tries to put her shoes back on but has great difficulty from the black circles that seem to be impairing her vision.

"You can't drive like you are, Ziva," Tony tells her. as he watches her difficulties with putting on her shoe. She was still disorientated and getting up so quickly sure didn't help anything.

"I am fine," she says just as she had days before. When she still had her secrets, her burdens.

"No you aren't. Go back to bed I'll leave you alone," Tony says and turns to leave. "Don't forget to call Gibbs and tell him you're sick or else he'll have your head."

Ziva sighs and sits back down on the bed. She rests her head in her hands and replays their conversation in her head. Of all the people of whom she could argue with Tony was the last one she wanted to be mad at with right now. Right now she needed him. That was something she would, nor could, ever admit but it was so true.

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**Another chapter written and hopefully a few more questions answered. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter I don't think I would still be writing this if it wasn't for all the encouragement I have been receiving. Happy Thanksgiving, to all who celebrate it, if I don't update until after the holiday. Remember reviews give me the inspiration to update hint hint :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Tony had no words to explain just how upset he was. He wasn't mad at her, not Ziva, not about this. He was angry she might not of told him before she lost her life, before she joined Kate and Jenny and Paula on his dresser. He couldn't lose her too. He had lost more than his fair share of people. He had lost all contact with his family, he had lost a best friend, he had lost the first woman he had ever loved, he couldn't lose her too. Tony had yelled at her because he was scared and Tony doesn't do well with being scared, or sad. He didn't even know why he would say those things to her, hurt her the way he had. He saw the look on her face when he said he suspected she was purposely not telling anyone. Tony knew that that wasn't what she was doing but for some stupid reason he said it. _He_ caused that look in her eyes. _He_ was the one who hurt her.

Tony sighed and sat down on the couch leaning his head back. He was tired from the lack of sleep he got last night because he was up late worrying about her. Her father couldn't actually kill her could he? They would be able to stop him wouldn't they? Gibbs could keep him from hurting her, Gibbs was always able to stop the inevitable. Ziva said nothing was inevitable. Tony wondered if she still believed that. Still believed that certain things could be evaded, avoided, escaped. What was her escape for this? Was there a solution? Was the solution death? She wouldn't just give up and let him kill her would she? Ziva was a fighter, she was strong and she was stubborn. So much so that she wouldn't go back to Mossad and so much so she would do everything in order to prevent what seemed unpreventable. So why wasn't she doing anything? Why wasn't she out there kicking someone's ass until they did what needed to be done to end this? Why hadn't she told someone? Why did there seem to be so many questions and so few answers?

Tony was tempted to also call in sick to work but decided against it since it would seem a little strange if they both just happened to be sick on the same day. Unwillingly he got off of the couch and went into the bedroom to get his stuff. Tony gently knocked on the door but when he got no response opened it slightly and found Ziva passed out on the bed. He was surprised that he had not heard her snoring when he was in the other room. Tony went and got a few more aspirin along with a glass of water and set them on the table next to her. He scribbled a note instructing her when to take the pills and where all the take-out menus were located in case she got hungry. He wanted to write that he was sorry, that he didn't mean what he said, but instead he just set the folded up piece of paper on the table.

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"Wow, three days in one week," McGee comments as Tony walks in and sits in his chair. Tony had showered, eaten, and dressed and was on time, well on time to him five minutes late to Gibbs.

"Three days in one week what, Probie?" Tony asked and McGee looked hesitant but when Tony continued to stare at him answered.

"Uh, it's just that for the third time this week...You've uh."

"Out with it, Probie," Tony says impatiently, being in no mood to listen to McGee Ah and Um.

"Well, Tony it's the third time this week you've come in looking like crap," McGee tells him bluntly.

Tony tries to think of comeback or at least a decent excuse but can think of nothing. Instead he just snarls at McGee and plops himself down at his desk putting his feet up and leaning back. He made a mental note to bug McGee extra next week when he had more energy but right now all Tony wanted to do was take a nap. "Did you finish the case file report?" Tony asks not even bothering to open his eyes and look at McGee.

"That's for you to do," Gibbs says and Tony sits up quickly and switches his computer on.

"On it, boss," Tony tells him and Gibbs walks over to his desk and begins doing something or other. "Shut it, Probie," Tony says to a laughing McGee on the other side of the bull pen.

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Ziva sits up and glances at the clock she's surprised when she sees that it is already nearly eight at night. Her headache has seemed to of gone away for the most part and she is actually hungry. She shivers as she removes the blankets from her body and slowly begins walking to the kitchen. Ziva's eyes dart around the room searching for Tony. _He should be home by now_ Ziva thinks when she sees that she is still alone in the apartment. He was, most likely, still angry with her. Their argument seemed unnecessary, pointless. It had more meaning than say an argument about toast, but she didn't want to be angry with him and more so she did not want him angry with her. Therefore it was stupid. Was he going to tell Gibbs? Did he even care what happened to her? Did he love her like she loved him? Did _she_ love him? She shouldn't love him, she knew that much.

Opening the fridge Ziva quickly discovers that if she wants anything to eat besides bacon, non-kosher, or beer, still recovering from current hang-over, she should most likely order something. As she picks Tony's home phone up her own cell phone begins to vibrate. "Shalom," she says and isn't to surprised when she hears her father's voice.

"Ah, Ziva nice to know that you are finally answering my phone calls again," he tells her and she curses herself for not checking the caller ID. "Perhaps if you had answered sooner I would not of had to take such drastic measures."

"What drastic measures?" she asks fearfully. Only one person can put so much fear in her and that one person took so much pleasure out of doing it.

"Well why don't you open the door and find out for yourself, bat" he says using the Hebrew word for daughter. She despised his usage of that word, felt as though he had no right to use it, but her angry was forgotten as she walked to the door. When she opens it she sees a bloody and lifeless Tony. Ziva stares at him and knows that there is no doubt he is dead. Her entire body just seems to go numb when the realization hits her. The only one she was trying to protect ended up being the first that died. If she had had anything in her stomach she surely would have vomitted it, but instead was just left standing there wanting to cry, scream, kill. Kill the one who had done this to him, the one that had taken her one source of comfort from her. Ziva hears the phone fall to the floor as it dropped from her limp hand. She makes no move to pick it up, she just stares.

"I almost wish I didn't have to do this," her father says when he comes around the corner so he is standing right in front of her, a gun pointed right at her head, execution style.

"Almost?"

"Yes, because if I really did not want to I would not. So, almost." He says and then a gun shot is heard.

Ziva opens her eyes and tries to calm her quick, uneven breathing. It takes a minute for her to figure things out and she relaxes when she realizes it was all just a dream. Immediately she tenses up again when she thinks how easily it could not have been. She looks over at the red numbers on the clock and sees that it is six, late enough that it is dark but not late enough so Tony is home. She sees aspirin and a note. She ignores the pills and picks up the note her eyes quickly scanning over the words. It says nothing more besides when she can take the pills and where she can go to find the menus for food. She was not hungry and her headache was mostly gone. She debates reading her book but decides against it and instead just lays down hoping she could get some more much needed sleep.

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**I know it's really short and I know that it really isn't very good, but I really wanted to post tonight. I hope that it was at least okay and I promise all of you that the next one will be longer and better written. I have a long weekend so I will have plenty of time to write. Thank you for all for the reviews, seriously you guys rock. Please review for this chapter because they always get me really excited to write :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Work had seemed longer than usual today for Tony. For two reasons, one because the team currently didn't have a case so you were stuck doing paper work, if you were McGee, or playing tetris all day, if you were Tony, or going on five hundred coffee runs to keep you awake from the boringness of doing nothing, if you were Gibbs. The second was because today there was a desk empty. Tony realized just how much he enjoyed their constant going back and forth and how much he missed it when it was gone. He missed her sneaking up behind him and scaring him half to death, he missed the way she would seemingly challenge him, the way she would just make the day so much more fun, make his day so much better.

Tony was so far past ready to go home it wasn't even funny. He sighed as he walked to the elevator, all day he had been debating about what to do. Should he tell Gibbs or should he talk to Ziva first? Should he put her in protective custody? Did _he_ need to be in protective custody? He still didn't have the complete picture to everything. He still wanted, and needed, more answers.

Tony felt terrible about their stupid argument. Of everything she needs right now him accusing her of betraying everyone sure as hell isn't one of them. _I'll talk to her as soon as I get home_ Tony tells himself. His mind wanders as he makes his way to his car, not paying much attention to what's going on around him. His head had been in the clouds all day and it drove Gibbs crazy but at least they weren't really doing anything. Tomorrow was Saturday and they had the weekend off; something Tony had been anticipating since he woke up this morning.

Tony hears a twig snap and is pulled from his thoughts. He glances around but dismisses it as an animal. _Stop being so paranoid_ he tells himself. Ever since Ziva said that her father was also going to try and kill him he was a little freaked out. Plus if this were a movie ten men all in black would jump out and capture him and then take him to torture him for information. But life, as was commonly pointed out by his partner, is not a movie and in real life snapping twigs signify squirrels, not men in black. Tony's mind then wanders to the film Men in Black, made in 1997 and it included UFOs and Tommy Lee Jones. He'd have to add that to the list of movies for Ziva and him to watch. Ziva didn't know this but he had a little list in his wallet of all the movies they should watch together. And everyday the list just seemed to grow longer until it no longer was a short list.

Tony laughs to himself when he realizes that he has gone past his car. His laughing comes to an abrupt stop when a gun shot is heard. Tony instinctively ducks and grabs his SIG. He takes cover behind a car and searches for the shooter. It's too dark for him to see, but he keeps his eyes peeled for any sign of activity. More rounds are fired and one grazes right past Tony's right shoulder. Pain intercepts it's way through his arm but he blocks it out trying to find a better place to take cover. There is clearly more than one shooter meaning he needs to be protected from all angles. He squeezes in between two cars and stays low as several more shots are fired. When it pauses for a moment Tony cautiously pokes up. His gun ready and in position, but he realizes that it is pointless. Unless you were equipped with a night scope there was no way you could see.

After who knows how long, Tony gets up and very carefully, with his gun still drawn, makes his way over to his car. Climbing in he places his gun on the seat next to him in easy reach. He pulls back his shirt to determine the damage that was caused by the bullet. It isn't too bad but he knew that it would be in his best interest to go to the hospital anyways. Of the many things Anthony DiNozzo hated hospitals were high on the list. Tony sighs; he knows exactly who it was that shot at him and he knew who their other target was and he knew why. It's one thing to find out your father is a terrorist it's another when he is trying to kill you because you know.

Tony remembered how much he hated his father, how much he resented him. But it didn't even barely compare to this. His father may have been a drunk and a real bastard but at least he never tried to murder one of his own children. What kind of psycho did something like that? It pissed him off that someone was trying to kill her. It pissed him off even more that it was her own father. How could someone do that? Take their own child's life for their personal gain? It was sick, unforgivable.

He turns the key and the engine roars to life the heat blowing cold air onto him since it had still not warmed up. He puts the car in drive and pulls out the parking spot taking the direction to the hospital instead of home. Would she even still be there when he got back? Would she have left? Would it be willingly if she did? Would she still be alive? Tony knew that Ziva could take care of herself, but he also knew exactly what this man was capable of.

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Ziva eventually had managed to sleep off her hangover and was then wide awake. The thing about Ziva is that her mind always seemed to go to the exact place she did not want it to. It was late enough so Tony should be home from work, nearly 2100 hours. Her mind flashes back to the dream she had had early that day. His lifeless body laying there, his features bloody. Could he be in trouble? Could her father's threats be put into action? Had Tony informed Gibbs? She knew Gibbs would be angry with her if he found out just how long she had been keeping this all to herself. Tony had made many good points of how she was putting hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives in danger for her own selfish protection. Protection of not her, but her partner, her friend. She had lost many partners and even friends in Mossad but sadly her time in America had seemed to soften her greatly. It was no longer 'at least they died for their country' but instead 'how could they be gone? It is not fair' It would not be right if Tony were to die because of her.

Ziva quickly grew tired of her many thoughts and worries so instead decided to replace them with a book. She gets up from the bed for the first time since that morning and makes her way into the other room to find her bag. She opens it and finds her book placed on top. She pulls it out and gets comfortable on the couch. Opening the book she sees nothing but a blur of words that all seem to group together. Frustrated she sets down the book and lays down on the couch. _Perhaps I am still tired _she thinks to herself. There had been very few nights of which she was actually getting a decent amount of sleep. Perhaps she was still recovering from the extreme lack of rest she had been getting.

Ziva is tempted to get the whiskey bottle again but thinks better of it and in turn just closes her eyes. She is immediately jolted to life when she hears the door open and sees Tony standing there, right arm in a sling. "Tony," she says and gets up walking over to him. "What happened?"

"Listen, Zi, I'm sorry about today I didn't mean what I-"

"You were right," she confesses to him quietly. Her head hung low, a sad, yet not overly so, expression coming across her face.

"No I wasn't. I had no right to say what I did. I know that you aren't betraying us, you were just..." Tony fades out regretting the sentence he had begun saying. "You knew what you were doing."

"I am sorry, Tony," she tells him and stares at him square in the eye.

Tony considers fighting it. Telling her that she was not at fault but he knows her stubbornness and he knows her. "Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness."

"I am sorry."

"Me too," she smiles at him and he returns it. The moment is short lived when her eyes are once again drawn to his injury.

He sees where her eyes are lingering and figures he should tell her. "I was shot at while in the parking lot. It's not that bad just needed to be cleaned and have a few stitches. I'll be perfectly fine in a week."

"It was him, yes?" Ziva asks and the empty eyes she had seen in her dream flash back in her mind.

"I couldn't see. So I don't really know who it was exactly," Tony tells her trying to minimize the reality of it all.

"It was him," she says again except this time in an answer than a question.

"I have pissed off an awful lot of people," he jokes and she stares at him, her eyes sad and weak, tired even. "Yeah, not necessarily him though. Whoever it was that shot at me missed so it obviously wasn't him."

"Yes, but whoever it was was sent by him. It makes little difference."

"I thought of some more movies for us to watch," Tony says and Ziva rolls her eyes but sits down on the couch and stares at him expectantly. "You could help me. I am injured after all."

He earns himself another eye roll but she does get off of the couch to help him. "It is not that difficult to get a DVD, Tony."

"Yeah, but I _am_ injured."

"Barely."

"Okay there was a bullet and there was my arm. The bullet and my arm were in extremely close proximity to one another," Tony says and begins demonstrating what happened, using his left hand as the bullet. Ziva laughs and ignores him. She selects a random movie and places it in the DVD and then presses play.

"Do you ever shut up?" Tony shoots her a look and she gives him a slug smile but then turns her attention to the TV as the Fox 20th Century fanfare begins to play.

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"Was Tali your full sister or half?" Tony asks randomly as he and Ziva sat, half way through the movie.

"My full sister why?" she questions, rather surprised from the random question on a rarely mentioned topic.

"I was just wondering," Tony says and turns back to the television.

"She was so full of life, had so much ahead of her. It is not right that she died."

"She was only sixteen right?"

"Yes," Ziva says and smiles. "But you would not know it from the looks of her. She seemed so adult and yet so naive and innocent. Tali was caring, loving. Mossad was not a place for her, our family was not a place for her. I wish that I could have taken her place that day. Tali did not deserve to die. There are very few who do deserve to die, but there are also so few who really deserve to live. Tali was one of them."

"I bet she was a lot like you," Tony says and Ziva shakes her head laughing.

"In some ways she was just like me, yet in others the complete opposite. Tali was very motherly; she was the type who would take care of you whether you deserved it or not. She was forgiving and trusting, but very strong and stubborn. Tali could stand her own, that is for sure."

"You think she was more suited to have a family?"

"No doubt that is where she belonged. I could see her as a mother even though she was young," Ziva says and laughs as if there is a secret just for her and Tali.

"You ever think you could be a mom?" Tony asks not really thinking of the words he was saying until he saw Ziva's face.

"I never used to think I would be the type to be able to handle a child, to even want a child..." she fades out and takes a breath blinking back tears. "A little over five years ago I discovered that I was in fact going to have a child. I hated the thought at first but slowly I, I grew to love the idea; love the one I was protecting." She stops again and Tony just sits not saying anything. He wants to hear more but doesn't want to push her to discuss it. "I took a blow to the stomach and lost her."

"Her? You knew it was-"

"Officially? No, I just knew," Ziva bites her lip but a few stray tears find there way down her face. "I could not protect her, Tony." Ziva's tears and pain all seemingly catch up to her at the same time as she begins to sob no longer trying to stop herself from releasing it all. "How could I miss something so much that I never even had the chance to have?" she questions and Tony wishes he could give her an answer but can think of nothing but to let her cry. No matter how strong someone is they still hurt and it was time for Ziva to release the hurt she had been storing for years.

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**Okay there is chapter ten. I'm not too sure how much I like it but hopefully it is okay. Thanks to everyone for all of your support and encouragement. Please review and let me know what you thought. Who knows I may even update tomorrow if I have enough inspiration hint hint. Have a good weekend everyone :)**


	11. Chapter 11

The weekend had been spent with endless movies, catching up on the much missed sleep and discussing every possible topic. For once answers were received for some of the questions that were asked. Stresses were released, worries forgotten. There had been no bullets fired into the apartment or pizza delivery guys who suddenly went all Kung-fu on them. It had been calm, relaxing, relieving. They had both grown comfortable around each other. Things were easy, familiar.

They had decided to fill Gibbs in on everything that was happening, on Monday. Ziva was dreading the beginning of the week so needless to say when she woke up Monday morning she was not very happy. She sat up and glanced at the clock, it was 0500 just as it should be. She had already figured the best route for her to run from Tony's and then get back to her place to shower and be on time for work. Ziva turned to watch Tony, who was sleeping next to her snoring loudly._ He's sleeping like a rock. Wait that can not be right rocks do not sleep, _Ziva ponders on the correct phrase of the American idiom for a few moments longer before pulling her body off of the bed and making the way to the bathroom to prepare herself for her run. She had previously promised Tony that she wouldn't go for a run today since he did not want her going out alone. However she would not keep her promise for two reasons. One because she could very well take care of herself and two she had been skipping out on her daily runs for a few days now and severely missed them. She quickly wrote a note explaining what she was doing and telling Tony not to worry and that he would see her at work. She left her bags there knowing full well that she would be back there that night nayways. Grabbing her gun and swiping her hair back into a ponytail, Ziva quietly shut the door behind her and made her way to the elevator sighing as the doors closed shut. _It is not like anything will happen on an hour run at five in the morning, _Ziva tells herself and calming slightly. However, her calmness quickly disappears as a gun is felt on the back of her head.

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Tony groans as his alarm starts beeping loudly, in fact now that he thought about it was it really necessary for the darn thing to be so loud? His hand flops around searching for the snooze button and he sighs when he finds it thankful for the peaceful sound of, well nothing. Over the weekend his shoulder had mostly healed and as long as he took a couple ibuprofen every few hours he was fine. He turns over expecting to find the Israeli beauty next to him but is surprised to find nothing but pushed back covers. She was always awake long before him but would stay in bed reading her book until he finally did wake up. He pushed away the intruding thoughts that something was wrong and just figured she was showering or eating breakfast. However his mind didn't rest at these thoughts so instead of rolling over and falling back asleep, as he usually does until the alarm goes off again, he gets up and walks into the other room. His dart around the apartment but find no sign of her, worry starts to set in. The bathroom door is open and there isn't anywhere else she could be. He sees a note on the fridge and walks over and sees that it has her elegant, neat hand writing explaining that she went for a run and would see him at work. Tony figured she might go for her run even though she supposedly promised that she wouldn't. Something just doesn't seem right to him though. _You're just being paranoid! She's Ziva, she's fine,_ he tells himself trying to silence his racing thoughts. Now if he could just believe it he would be all set. He listens as the alarm starts to beep loudly signaling that now it was _really_ time to get up.

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The car in which Ziva was riding was just a simple black Pries. She had been stuffed in the backseat, hands tied tightly behind her back, and had been striked several times due to her stubbornness to obey. Ziva was not surprised at who it was that was sent to take her into custody. This man would bend over backwards to please her father, or kill someone he had once said he was friends with, to him it was the same. It pleases the Deputy Director of Mossad then it pleases him too, because one day he wishes to be the next deputy director. Ziva stared straight ahead, showing no emotion. She may be scared out of her mind but she was not one to show it, she was trained not to show it. Every question she asked has been answered with silence. They sat, not saying anything, having nothing to say. Ziva's mind is on someone else, the someone who could either save her or also need saving. She tries to maneuver herself into a less awkward position but fails and instead ends up in even more pain than before. She blocks it out, after all this is minor for some of things she had been through. 'The best way to learn to torture is to experience it' her father used to tell her. People had been killed during the practice tortures sometimes by accident sometimes not. "You are not a very good partner," Ziva says to the man who is driving the car. He laughs and turns to face while they are stopped at a red light.

"I am not your partner anymore, Ziva," he says and turns back around pressing on the gas a little more than he should causing the tires to squeal once the light turned green.

"No," Ziva says and stays silent for a minute before continuing her thought. "You are my enemy."

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Tony arrived at work still a bit out of it. He had a gut feeling something wasn't right. He just knew, he didn't know how he knew he just did and he didn't like it. Tony had been blocking it out all morning but when he got to work, ten minutes late since he was so scattered brain everything seemed to take twice as long, he saw her empty desk and he really knew. Tony quickly pulled out his cell phone and pressed his speed dial to call her. He set his stuff down and then sat down himself nervously spinning in the chair as the phone continued to ring. "Come on, damn it pick up!" Tony yells and hangs up and then presses send twice to call her again.

"Uh, is something wrong, Tony?" McGee asks from across the bull-pen as he watches and listens to Tony.

"No, Probie I'm just angry with my phone today," Tony says and hits the call end button again when he only gets her voice mail. He calls again and slams the phone down onto his desk when he gets her stupid voice mail again.

"We got a dead marine," Gibbs says as he comes from seemingly out of no where and walking towards the elevator. "Where's Ziva?" he asks when he sees an empty desk out of the corner of his eye.

"We got a problem, boss," Tony says as he grabs his gun and makes his way to the elevator. "McGee! Hand the case over to someone else."

"What the hell did you just do Dino's?" Gibbs asks incredulously.

"Something you would have done in five minutes. I'm saving you time. Now come on," Tony says impatiently as he turns back around and hits the button to the elevator. Gibbs follows and once they're inside flips the switch so it goes dark and movement stops.

"You figure out what's going on with David?"

Tony nods and flips the switch again, having not the patience nor time to have this conversation now. He needed to find before they...

"Well," Gibbs says expectantly and once again the emergency brake is put into play.

"You do stuff all the time without explaining anything to anyone. You do it on your watch and on your time. Now I'm gonna do the same. If you have a problem with that then go get that dead marine but I have something that I need to deal with. Now," Tony says. He rarely gets angry with Gibbs but if this was the only way to get Gibbs' to listen and understand then that was how he was going to do it.

First Gibbs looks pissed as hell but then he nods and reaches across and turns on the elevator. Once they reach the ground floor and the doors open up Tony stops for just a second before running off.

"Thank you, boss."

"Ever do something like this again and you will be stuck in that elevator for a whole lot longer," Gibbs says and begins to make his way to his car.

Tony would find her. He had to find her.

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The car stops in front of an old, abandoned warehouse and she is pulled harshly from where she had been sitting for over a good two hours. Ziva resists slightly as the man pulls her towards the building but there is not much she can do with her hands tied behind her back and is forced forward when he gives her an extra hard yank. "You know you aren't going to come out of this alive don't you?" Ziva glares at him and mentally hitting herself for believing him even if it was only for a split second. "We did have other plans. Ones that involved that friend of yours but they sent the wrong man to do that so that didn't work out quite well. We'll still have to eliminate him though, since you told him.

"I did not tell anyone," Ziva says hoping that she may be able to convince them, knowing she won't.

"Oh you didn't did you? Well then I suppose we can just kill him for practice then can't we?" Another glare is delivered his way and he jabs her back hard with his gun pushing her torwards the door. She did not know what would happen. But she did know that ultimately in the end she would die. She also knew who it was that would kill her, and him. Ziva David did not like to be saved, she hated it, in fact, but right here and now she had one thought, _save me, Tony._

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**Sorry if that is an evil place to leave it. Actually no I'm not really sorry I like leaving people on cliffys, but I'll just say I'm sorry anyways. So please review and also if anyone knows the name of that guy in the picture that Tony found in Nine Lives please tell me! I remember (or at least I think) that his last name is Rivkin but I can't remember his first name. I'm not even sure if it was officially said his name or that he was her partner or if it was just the scuttlebutt. Anyways please leave your reviews and I just might update tomorrow :)**


	12. Chapter 12

"Get a GPS fix on Ziva's cell!" Tony yells into his cell phone, talking to McGee, as he speeds over to Ziva's apartment.

"Uh, why is there something wrong?" McGee asks since he was completely out of the loop about everything. Not that Gibbs was much more in, but at least he was in the car.

"Just do it." Tony quickly pulls into a parking space in front of Ziva's apartment complex and jumps out and begins climbing the stairs to her apartment.

"Okay it's coming up..." McGee says as he swiftly enters the keys on the keyboard trying to will the machine to go faster. McGee was afraid of Gibbs and Tony reminded him a lot of Gibbs when Tony was angry.

"It's locked," Tony says once he and Gibbs have made their way to her door.

"Well, yeah DiNozzo. Did you think a trained Mossad assassin would leave her door unlocked because there's a neighborhood watch program?" Gibbs asks and reaches into his pocket pulling out his lock picking supplies.

"I've got a key, boss," Tony says and selects a key from the chain he carries them on. Gibbs gives him a look but steps aside and let's him unlock the door. They nod and both pull out their guns holding them in position as they walk in. Tony does a scan of the living room and sees that it's empty an looks exactly the same from the last time he had seen it. Gibbs goes into the bathroom and Tony goes into the bedroom. Both yell out that the apartment is clear and place their SIGs back in their holsters. "It doesn't look like she ever made it to her apartment today."

"How do ya know, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks and walks into the kitchen switching the light on and examining its contents.

"Because the last time she was here was the last time I was here and it looks exactly the same."

"I've got a fix on the GPS," McGee says into the phone but gets no answer. He hears Gibbs and Tony talking in the backround and listens as they yell clear and then begin conversation again. "Hey guys!" he still gets no answer and so he tries again. "Guys! Hello!" McGee sighs frustrated and hangs up the phone and calling Gibbs.

"Yeah Gibbs," he says and listens as McGee starts asking why Tony wasn't answering and then continues on his ramble. "McGee!"

"Uh, right boss."

"McGeek?" Tony asks and then remembers the forgotten cell phone on his jacket pocket that was still open and said that McGee had hung up on him.

"I found where Ziva is."

"Well where is she?" Gibbs questions impatiently and Tony looks up from his cell phone and over at him.

"It says that she's back at Tony's apartment."

"Good work, McGee," Gibbs says and snaps the phone shut. "She's back at your apartment."

Tony wanted to feel relieved at this new bit of information but felt a certain amount of doubt that she was actually there.

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"Timmy!" Abby exclaims as she comes from the elevator and quickly making her way over to the junior field agent. Many of the other agents turn and look at the strange sight of the goth forensic scientist hurriedly making her way across the room. "What's going on? I heard someone say that Gibbs and Tony were out looking for Ziva? Why are they looking for Ziva?"

"If you find out tell me, because I haven't been told anything."

"Do you think there's something wrong?" Abby questions a worried look making its way across her face. "Of course there's something wrong otherwise they wouldn't be looking for her! I knew there was something up. I should've said something. Why didn't I say anything, McGee?!" Abby asks, questions flying out of her mouth quicker than McGee can even compose a full thought.

"Uh..." is his, oh so intelligent answer.

"She'll be okay, won't she?" Abby says her voice small and filled with concern.

"She's Ziva; she'll be fine," McGee answers but knows he's gonna have to do better than that as he watches the usually happy and upbeat girls head hang low.

"We can't lose her too McGee."

"We won't, Abby," he says and stands up wrapping her in a hug. "We won't."

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Gibbs and DiNozzo get out of the car and are about to enter the apartment complex when Tony's cell phone starts to buzz. His eyes glance hopefully at the caller ID but see that it's just McGee, "What?" Tony asks aggravated.

"The GPS says that she's making a call and moving," McGee says as he and Abby watch the little red dot travel travel north west across the screen.

"Moving where, Probie?" Tony asks and glances around for her.

"Um hold on let me get a fix on your cell..." McGee says.

Tony walks around the building some, listening and looking for his Israelian partner.

"It says that she's coming right towards you."

"That's not possible McGee I don't see her anywhere."

"She just passed you, Tony."

Gibbs walks over to a man, one who definitely looks like he would not have a cell phone from his grungy appearance. He grabs the cell from the guy's hands and hits the call end button to see Ziva's backround picture come up. "Found her phone."

"She just hung up, Tony," McGee says.

"Yeah, Probie I know," Tony says and hangs up the phone walking over to where Gibbs and the man are.

"Where did you get this phone?" Gibbs yells at the man who looks as though he is about to pee his pants...and smells like he already did.

"I-I didn't stole it. I swear!"

"Where did you get it!" Gibbs yells again and the man lifts a shaking hand and points it towards the building.

"It was by the door just lying there," he says and Gibbs and Tony walk over there searching for something, anything.

"Well I don't how we missed this but look," Tony says and shows Gibbs her neon orange running hat. "Wherever she went it wasn't willingly."

"Did you ever think she did, DiNozzo?"

"No," Tony admits and sighs when he realizes that currently they had no leads to where Ziva was. Who knows where she was or what was happening to her. Tony shuddered at just the thought of what they were capable of doing to her. He just hoped she would be okay.

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Ziva had been tied to a chair for well over two hours now. Her partner, Michael Rivkin, was currently the only one there as her father had not yet shown up. Michael had taken all of her weapons and then made her remove all clothing to make sure she was not hiding anymore. She followed his commands, after a few violent requests, since there was a gun pointed at her at all times. She did not know why she should even care, why not just let him shoot her now, end this all now. Honestly she would much rather be killed by her ex-partner than by her own father. He had almost not even allowed her to keep her clothes but when she reminded him that it was her father who was coming he tossed them back over to her and then proceeded to tie her hands, feet, and shoulders to a chair. Even with the rope on he still insisted that she keep the hand cuffs therefore she couldn't even try and untie herself.

Not many words had been spoken between them since they had entered the building. Michael had just sat there, playing with his gun, or his knife, or some sort of weapon. She figured it was to intimidate her, but there was only person who could intimidate her and he was not here. Not yet, he would be soon, and once he was he would execute her. Ziva hated that she was just sitting there, waiting. Of course, who really wants to wait to be killed, or to be killed at all for that matter. She was afraid of what would happen when her father got here. She feared that he would not be alone, that Tony would be with him and that he would kill Tony. Kill him before her. Ziva's father knew how to torture people and since Ziva knew something she was not supposed to he wanted to torture her.

Ziva remembered a conversation she had had with Tony about three years ago. It was when they were stuck in that metal container that had millions of fake, but very real looking, dollars in it. Well that and a ton of DVDs. Ziva joked with Tony that if he could have had either the money, and be able to spend it, or the movies, that he would take the movies. But she remembered how Tony and her were confessing things, not much just small things that were all part of a bigger picture. Tony was asking her a bunch of questions, asking for another confession and as he went down the list, funny moment, embarrassing moment he had asked her when the first time she realized that daddy wasn't perfect. She had froze for a moment before glaring at him and later that night she really thought about it. When did she realize it? She knew it at a very young age four or five, but when did she not only realize but also accept it. The first time he forced her to go on a mission she did not want to go on? The time she had heard Ari say all of those things to Gibbs? The first time he began trying to murder her? Ziva hated to think that it may have really taken that long to believe, and fully accept, that he wasn't the image she had made him up to be, but a monster.

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"Alright since we have no leads and have no idea where to go from here why don't you tell me what the hell is going on," Gibbs says as he and Tony sit in the car as they had been for several minutes now.

Tony sighed as he tried to think of how to tell the long, confusing story. "I'm not even sure of where to start."

"How about from the beginning," Gibbs suggests. He had been particularly patient with Tony since he saw just how distraught he was over all of this.

"Okay if you say so," Tony says. "Well my parents were really drunk so they forgot to-"

"DiNozzo!"

"Sorry, boss," Tony says mentally beating himself up. _Not the time for jokes. Which, of course, is why you're telling them._ "Well she had been off for a while and one night, when she was staying at my apartment, after we'd fallen asleep she woke up and got my whiskey out..." Tony trails off remembering how she had told him, how hurt she was. "She was really drunk and rambled for a bit before telling me that her father..." he stops for a minute and takes a breath trying to calm the anger that seethed every time he thought of that man. "That her father was trying to murder her," Tony stops waiting for Gibbs to say something but when he stays silent Tony continues. "She didn't even remember it the next morning but she had been sobbing once she told me everything, and she just kept drinking. One swallow after another. She was trying to make the hurt go away. The pain, the guilt..."

"Are we talking about her a few days ago or you a few months ago?" Gibbs asks.

"Both, I guess. Anyways her father wanted to kill her because he was planning a terrorist attack on America and he knew that she would tell someone. He said that unless she was to come back to Mossad he would find her and execute her. I guess he finished phase one, now I just wonder how far he is from the second part."

"When were either of you planning on telling me that there's a terrorist attack planned to happen in America?" Gibbs yells. They had worked with him long enough to know when to keep something to yourself or not. This was beyond being irresponsible.

"Today," Tony says ashamed that they had waited so long. How would they have felt if they were never able to tell anyone and then thousands of innocent people lost their lives.

"Today? How long had you known! What would you have done if he had gotten you too?"

"I know, boss. We both knew how stupid it was to not say anything."

"Stupid! You classify this under stupid? When is the terrorist attack planned for? Where are they going to have it? How long have they been planning it? Why are they planning it?" Gibbs questions anger and frustration very evident in his voice.

"We don't know!" Tony exclaims. The last conversation he wanted to have right now was one where Gibbs was lecturing him. He didn't have time for this, or more appropriately, she didn't.

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"I did not tell him, you know," Ziva says to Michael after another hour of silence.

"I wouldn't even bother to try and convince your father," Michael says as he cleans his knife so it shines.

"But I did not. I would not."

"So you just spent the night together every night for over a week because?" Michael questions and then laughs when he sees her look of disbelief. "He's done it before you should have suspected. After all you are an investigator, aren't you supposed to do that sort of thing?"

"What sort of thing?"

"Use common sense," Michael tells her. "Did you really think your father wasn't keeping tabs on your every move? We were planning on doing this a lot earlier but you rarely seemed to be without your boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend," Ziva says. More so as a reflex than anything else.

"So the man who you spend every night with is not your boyfriend but you practically jumped me when we first met?" Michael questions and watches as Ziva looks down as though she is ashamed.

"I did not care for you, Michael."

"You do not care for anyone, Ziva David."

"That is not true," she says. A few years ago she wouldn't have denied that, she may have even taken pride in it, but now... She knew that it was not weak to care or to hurt. Ziva now knew that she could express these things. It was not something she commonly did nor would she want to start but she no longer felt the need to suppress everything she feels, and to those she had come close to recently, that was strength.

"Yet you were capable to kill your own brother?"

Ziva's eye widened and she stared up at him. "How do you now about that?"

"I know alot of things," Michael says and walks up to her. His knife making light contact with her neck.

"My father?"

"He does not know. I thought it could be one of our secrets," Michael says and smiles suggestively before leaning down and whispering in her ear. "One of them."

Ziva stares ahead ignoring how close not only how close the knife is but how close Michael himself is. She shows no emotion but just stares blankly letting her mind handle emotions. A car door slamming is hear outside and Michael backs away from Ziva and puts his knife away. She knew who it was even though she wishes it was someone else.

The door opens with a squeak and heavy footsteps are heard as they make their way across the room. She does not turn to look, she continues to stare straight ahead. The footsteps stop right behind her and once again she waits.

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**Hmm not sure how I feel about this chapter. It's not up to my usual standards but hopefully it was still okay. More action, suspense, and surprises in the next chapter I promise! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and who told me Ziva's partner name. Please review for this chapter too! Have a good weekend :)**


	13. Chapter 13

Ducky, Jimmy, Abby and McGee had all gathered upstairs to sit together and to offer up, not only their company, but also their comfort. Once everyone had learned of what was going on worry seemed to circulate through them all. Gibbs had called and filled them in on some of the more promonent details and now they were checking the BOLO they had put out for Ziva every five minutes. They all seemed to jump simultaneously as McGee's phone starts ringing. "Agent McGee," he says hopefully but his voice quickly transitions to disappointment when he realizes that it was just a wrong number.

"That wasn't Gibbs?" Abby asks as McGee sets the phone back in its cradle.

"Not unless Gibbs started selling Girl Scout cookies."

"Did I ever tell you about the time my mother meant to sign me up for boy scouts but accidentally put my name down on the girl scouts form. Yes she actually wanted me to.." Ducky continues on for a few minutes longer but everyone faded into their own thoughts. Thoughts of worry, confusion, and fear. The loss of Jenny was still fresh on their minds and the reminder of Kate was often. They were in danger a lot and most of the time they were fortunate, and smart, enough to get their way out of it. Most of the time.

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Tony's frustration was currently being taken out on the gas pump as he jammed it into his car and slammed the buttons for it to begin pumping. They had no leads or even ideas of where Ziva could be. They couldn't track her cell phone and they couldn't even put a BOLO out on the car since they had no clue of what it looked like. After sitting in the car for nearly twenty minutes Gibbs suggested they go get coffee. Tony had originally objected but after only twenty seconds of silence started the engine up and drove to the nearest Seven Eleven around. He spent every second trying to think of the slightest possibility of what they could do to find her. If they had her father's cell phone they could track that but neither he nor Gibbs did.

Gibbs came out of the convienece store just as the car finished filling and Tony swiped his card and sat back down in his car. Gibbs takes one sip of the coffee and in one swift movement has spit it back out on the ground outside of the car. "Is that one mine?"

"No it's the right one," Gibbs says and takes the whole cup and dumps it. "It just tastes like crap is all." Tony takes his cup from Gibbs' hand but simply sets it down in the cup holder. He wasn't thirsty plus he didn't enjoy "crap coffee" all that much.

"So where to now, boss?" Tony asks and Gibbs turns and looks at him.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Well you just sort of seem to know what we should most of the time."

"I know even less than you do, DiNozzo. You call the shots," Gibbs says and they sit for a minute but Tony starts the engine once a car comes up behind him and begins beeping its horn signaling that it is clearly time for he and Gibbs to move. Gibbs' cell phone starts buzzing so he pulls it out of his pocket and holds it back some as he attempts to read the caller ID. Giving up he simply answers, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Hey boss, Abby just came up with this great idea," McGee says and Abby presses the speaker button so the whole group could listen.

"Would someone care to expain what this great idea is?" Gibbs questions after a few seconds of silence.

"Uh, well Abby said that-"

"You have Ziva's cell phone right?" Abby questions cutting McGee off.

"Yeah and we have for about an hour now."

"Well hasn't she been getting a lot of calls from her father on it?" Abby asks and Gibbs quickly catches on.

"That's a good idea, Abs."

"Actually I believe McGee called it a _great_ idea but I'll-"

"Abby," Gibbs says. He really did love them all, not that he would ever show it, but there were certain things that could be slightly annoying at times. "Check Ziva's cell phone and tell me the most recent phone call made to it."

Tony picks up her phone and goes to all calls. Skipping over the ones from him he reads an unknown number and tells it to Gibbs. His mind brightens when he puts the pieces together and figures out exactly what it was Abby had realized.

"Okay it says that his cell phone is coming from Woodbridge Virginia. About fifty miles from where you guys are." Abby fills them in on the rest of the information and after Gibbs relays it to Tony the cars is quickly shifted from park to drive and Tony then pulls away as he and Gibbs speed off.

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The silence was short yet it seemed to last for an eternity. Right now, for Ziva, a minute appeared to be as long as an hour. This was no where near her first time being tied up with men around her threatning to kill her if she didn't coporate or relinquish infofmation. It was, however, the first time that this had been done to her and she had felt fear, helplessness. Ever since she had arrived at the warehouse she had been expecting Tony and Gibbs and McGee to come break down the door and yell, "NCIS drop your weapons!" but they didn't. How could they even? She did not have her phone with her and who knows if Gibbs would even come look for her once he found out what had been going on. _Do not think such ridiculous things, Ziva! Gibbs is _not _your father. He cares about you and he will not just give up on you because you made mistakes. Tony would not either they are more than the people you work with. More than your friends even, they are your family. _Ziva had been having doubts on whether or not they would even bother to come and search for her after the horrible choices she had made but Ziva would quickly banish those thoughts from her mind. But the more time she spent sitting in the silence the more often those thoughts intruded and the more they were present the more she believed them. Maybe they had given up on her. She would not blame them, she would give up on herself.

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Tony was stuck on the side of the rode as he listened to the cop who lectured him about his driving not letting him get a word in edgewise. His impatience was growing and was about to either scream "We're freaking Federal Agents we can go a little over the damn speed limit!" or pull out his gun and point it at the cop's head. Tony knew neither would go very well but at this moment in time he cared about it as much as he cared about the fact that the crap coffee was getting cold.

"So I'll need to see your license and registration," the cop says and for the first time in five minutes stops to breath.

"We're federal agents on our way to go keep someone from being murdered so if you'll just get in the back seat and cuff yourself for interferring with a criminal investigation it would save us a lot of time," Tony says and the cop looks up and sees Tony's badge and ID right in front of him.

"What? Wait y-you can't do that. Can you?"

"Not so superior now are we?" Tony says and twists the keys in the engine. "I'd suggest you don't do that again, okay?"

Gibbs smiles as Tony pulls off. "Not bad DiNozzo. Not bad at all."

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She wanted to say something. She wanted someone to say something. Anything had to be better than the silence. All she had to fill the silence were her thoughts. Thoughts that she did not want to have. It was as though she could hear it all, that she was a failure, that she was hated by more than her father, and that she deserved to die. Tali did not deserve to die, but she did. Ari, Ari was the one that she killed, but he was the one she should have protected. She had killed many guilty people and although the innocent ones were fewer they were the ones that seemed to be burned into her memory, to forever be brought back into mention. Jenny should have never been killed even if she were to die from a horrid and uncureable illness only months later. It is not right for someone to lose their life when there is nothing but a pointless, empty, and sometimes even stupid reason. To die because someone wishes to cause the ones close to you pain, that is a stupid reason. To die because you're protecting others, that is a noble reason. To die because you know too much, that is an unfortunate reason. To die because your father wants you to, that is a sad reason.

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The car tires squeaked as they came to a sudden stop outside of what appears to be an empty and unused warehouse. As two pairs of eyes look around they quickly spot two cars. One of which is a black Prius and another that is also black but instead of a Prius is an SUV.

They both take off in the same direction towards the building and Gibbs holds up two fingers going from two, then one, then...Gibbs' foot collides with the metal door but nothing happens since it's well, metal. Again he kicks it but when once again nothing happens he shoots the lock and the two of them enter the building with their guns drawn expecting to find Ziva and her father.

In place of what should be Ziva was a chair and ropes down around the legs of it. Another chairs is across from it and Tony and Gibbs run in ready to search the building but stop and turn when they hear a gun shot and then tires squealing. They both run out praying not to find pools of blood surronding Ziva's body and Tony is calmed when he sees that they only shot the tire of their car. The black SUV is already gone and Gibbs and Tony watch as a hand cuffed Ziva is shoved, with much of a protest, into the back seat. Ziva's eyes connect with Tony's for just a moment until her head is jammed into the car and just as Tony shoots the man who has thrown Ziva in the car it takes off at top speed in the opposite direction. Gibbs raises his gun to shoot the driver but stops when he sees that he can't unless he were to shoot Ziva also. Tony watches as the Israelian man falls to the ground and as the car drives off. Determination and defeat are felt as Tony sees her slip farther away. Never had he seen so much fear in her eyes and he never wanted to see such a look again. He would find a way to get to her and he would find her before her father could carry out his intentions.

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**And once again I have left you on a cliffy. Hopefully the chapter was written okay. Let me know what you thought and thanks so much to all of you for the reviews last chapter. I was going to update last night but my stupid internet was down. At least I could get it up today though. Have a good weekend :)**


	14. Chapter 14

Ziva had been instructed to remain quiet throughout the car ride to god knows where. Very clearly her father, of course, had a back up plan if, and when, something like this happened. Some man, the same one that shoved her rather violently into the car, stood around a corner and watched so that even before Gibbs made a useless attempt to kick the door down she was practically already out of the building. She saw the pure fear in Tony's eyes when, for that one short moment, her eyes collided with his. He looked not only scared but angry, not with her of course, but with the man that was doing this to her. She knew that whoever fired that shot would accomplish nothing besides fulfilling what that man was sent to do. Die. She was surprised that they had not already eliminated her. As they had seemingly sat in the warehouse, in complete silence, for what must have been close to an hour even though it felt much, much longer. Michael made a comment of how they should give up. After driving for about a half hour he turned into an alley and began switching the plates of the car, tossing the others into a nearby dumpster. Exhaustion was slowly catching up with Ziva as it was now almost fully dark. Her thoughts were being pushed aside and now all she could think of was sleep. She lectured herself for even considering letting her guard down but the less sensible side of her brain pointed out the fact that it was not as though she could defend herself in anyway. It was not as though she had managed to slip out of the cuffs and was ready to sneak up behind Michael and push on his carotid pressure point to make him black out so she could easily slip away in the dark of night. She could do none of that. All she could do was sit. Sit in silence, sit in confusion, sit in torture.

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Back at NCIS headquarters Gibbs and Tony had just returned, both cranky and angry at just about everything and everyone around them. Gibbs was up speaking to Director Vance and McGee could just imagine the conversation between them. It was probably something of Gibbs yelling at Vance and then Vance getting all authorities on him which, of course, Gibbs would not take too well and would then storm out of the room slamming the door behind him and then going to get a cup of coffee. Tony looked, and felt, pissed. He was pissed with the ones who were doing this to her, he was pissed she had not told him sooner...He was pissed that he could not protect her. Tony knew very well that Ziva could stand her own but against her father she needed help, and he could not give her that. Tony felt that he had let her down as he watched the car drive away. They had tried running all the other numbers in Ziva's cell phone but were lead to Papa John's and once Tony was lead to himself when Abby accidentally searched his number. Every other number was either turned off or was all the way in Israel. Nothing had come back on the BOLO for the either car and so all he could was sit and think. Think of how he had let her down, how he could not think of anyway to save her, think of how he had failed.

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"He seems so depressed," Abby commented as she sat on McGee's desk playing nervously with one of her black ponytail holders so now her hair was in one pigtail and the other side was down and tangled.

"Well think about it Abby. What would you do if someone you cared about suddenly went missing and you knew that they were with someone who had every intention to kill that them?" McGee asks and Abby stare at him in utter shock.

"I do care about Ziva, Tim!" she exclaims greatly offended that he would even think of suggesting otherwise.

"I didn't mean it like that," McGee quickly begins to explain as he sees Abby's look. Which is composed of confusion, sadness, and some anger. "I just meant if it was someone you cared about, you know, romantically."

Abby stared down at McGee and began pondering what she would do if someone had taken him and had every intention to murder him. "I would use everything in me, and a few Caf Pows, to find and save them." Abby finally told him and then she realized that that was exactly what Tony had done and he had not managed to save. "Oh my God no wonder poor Tony is depressed!"

"Exactly, Abby," McGee tells her and then realizes just how hungry he is as the day is quickly coming to a close and he had not even gotten the chance to eat lunch that day. "I'm gonna go on a food run. What do you want?"

"Ziva."

"Food wise," McGee says and his appetite seems to plummet at the mention of Ziva but is quickly returned when he sees the custodian walk by with a choclate sprinkles in his hand leaving behind a trail of sprinkles and creating another mess for himself.

"I'm not hungry and I don't know how you are."

"You need to eat, Abby."

"Fine," Abby says and contemplates what she wanted. "I'll take a Caf Pow with a side of Caf Pow."

"Abby," McGee says but when she simply stares at him he gives up and figures he will order something for her so that when she was hungry there would be something for the forensic scientist to eat. "I'll be back in about a half hour."

"I'll be in my lab," Abby says and slowly walks past Tony desk and is surprised that he does not even seem to be aware that she is walking by or that he is on Planet Earth for that matter. She sighs when she reaches the elevator and she realizes her own frustration from this whole awful situation. She may not have been fond of Ziva when she originally came to NCIS but that had more to do with the fact that she was still angry sad and hurt from Kate's death. Ziva was someone she could channel all those emotions on to but it quickly became clear to Abby that she did in fact grow to accept and even love the crazy Mossad Officer who had never done harm to her or Gibbs or McGee or Tony. Ziva could never replace Kate and she clearly had no intention of trying to Ziva and Kate were so different they could not even be compared. Abby liked that, she would not have been able to stand it if some Kate clone came in trying to replace her best friend.

Abby and Kate had bonded especially much before her death. Had sleepovers, went to the spa, adopted a dog, pulled pranks constantly on McGee, ragged about how stupid guys were. That made the whole thing that much harder. Once Ziva came in Abby felt she Had to protect Kate's territory since Kate could not do it for herself, but the day that Ziva and Tony were trapped in that box and Abby was unsure of what would happen to them she realized just how much Ziva had grown on her even if she was still drawing mustaches and fuzzy hair on her pictures at the time. Abby felt that Kate would have wanted to let Ziva in. She had fully trusted ZIva on he night that she had come down to Abby's lab on the night of the anniversary of Kate's death and sat there letting Abby cry lending a shoulder to lean on. Ziva and Abby had become close. Add Jenny in the mix and the three of them would have so much fun. Abby had lost Kate,she had lost Jenny, she couldn't lose Ziva too. Abby didn't think she could handle it if she lost another partner, another best friend, another family member.

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Gibbs was angry and frustrated at the incompetence of just about everyone around him. He had slowly learned to tolerate Vance yet he still held much hostile resentment for breaking his team apart and then four months later throwing them all back together except by then the team was in fragments and placing everything back together took time and energy. Gibbs had had to sit and watch as Abby cried about Jenny's death and then to be torn completely apart by watching her friends, her family, all split apart. Abby was strong but she was weak when it came to those she cared about. Gibbs knew what Ziva was going through back in Israel. How many adjustments she was forced to make in a very short amount of time. He had watched tears build in her eyes, Ziva David's eyes, as she said her goodbyes to them all. McGee he saw every now and then and the poor boy had turned a sickly white and seemed basically miserable since he was stuck down in the basement with a bunch of people he did not even like. He actually seemed to miss being teased and called Probie in place of Boss. Tony was having a hard enough time after Jenny's death since he was blaming it all on himself and without the others around him to hold him up he fell into drinking and depression. Ducky was lonely without the group being down there and missed the ones he had come to love as they would listen to his stories and put up with his frequent use of their full and hated, by them, names.

Although Gibbs may not have shown it he was the most affected by it all. As his team was replaced with a handful of unwanted and highly incompetent agents. Gibbs had already lost his first family and he hated that his other was spread out across the world. Now as Gibbs stood taking his anger out on the director not caring if he fired him as he'd threatened to do many times before. He needed to find a way to find Ziva and Gibbs knew very well that Vance was on the inside with Deputy Director David and could tell him information that was necessary to find Ziva. Vance showed no sign of relinquishing information but there Gibbs stood yelling about his confusion, yelling about his frustration towards him, yelling about his lost daughter.

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McGee made his way downstairs with two bags filled with the usual Chinese take-out cartons. He walked through the open door and set them down on Abby's desk and then looked around the room for her. He walked through the doors and they beeped as he entered and he turned a 360 until he noticed Abby huddled in the corner between a desk and the wall with Bert held closely in her arms. Abby was currently in her well known "Scared Position" which is where she would sit until she felt safe for both her and her friends. McGee walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her and thought about just who it was she was worried for this time. Ziva could take of herself and she reminded him of that every time they would get in a particularly sticky situation and she would easily beat some guy up or shoot the person right before they manged o shoot her. Would she be able to handle it now? McGee wanted to believe she could. Believe she could protect herself, believe she could prevent them from hurting her, believe she could come back safely to them.

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Ziva was beginning to find it impossible to stay awake but could not understand what was causing it to be so difficult. She had gotten practically no sleep a few weeks ago and yet at only twelve at night she was finding it increasingly difficult. Doing a run through in her brain she quickly realized why. Michael had given her a bottle of water which she took and drank from without a second thought even though she knew it to be stupid. Her sore, dry throat was so grateful for the first few swallows that she had drank the whole bottle. Her hands had been released from the cuffs while they were stationary at a gas station so that no one would get overly suspicious if they saw her which is why she drank the entire bottle so quickly. She knew as soon as Michael ha driven a few miles down the road he would cuff her again and now she knew just how stupid of a move it was to accept the beverage. Every time she closed her eyes she did not want to open them again and would find everything around the edge of her eyes extremely blurry. Was this how her father intended to kill because if it was she was slightly disappointed in him. If he was going to kill her should have to use his own hands to do it. He should have to hear her screams and pleas, he should have to be the one who made the incision or shot the fatal shot, he should have to be the one who had to stare into the eyes of his own daughter as he took her life for hi8s own selfish gain. _He is a coward,_ is Ziva's last thought before she slips into unconsciousness.

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The first thing Ziva is aware of as she opens her eyes is the feeling of movement and the sound of...a plane? Ziva sits up to come face to face with her father. The sight of his face causes her to feel more nauseous then when she had a hangover. She looks around and sees that she is in fact on one of her father's private jets and they were most definitely flying. Michael is sitting close by and is speaking Hebrew in to his cellphone. She deciphers what he is saying but it is nothing of importance so instead turns to her father. If she could even call him that anymore. "Where is this plane going?" Ziva questions deciding that it was time for her to ask some questions and break the silence that seemed to have been looming for much too long.

"Ah my bat. Please speak the language of the country," her father says and with a sickening feeling in her stomach she thinks that she has gotten the answer to her question.

"The country of what?"

"The country we are in," he says and Ziva fears greatly as she opens her mouth to speak in what is her native language.

"Aba," she says and he smiles at her.

"That is better," he says and the horrifying reality of where she was at comes crashing down onto her. "Welcome back home bat." Ziva David was back in Israel.

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**Okay Okay I know you all are probably internally screaming, "Enough with the cliffhangers!" but its really not my fault... Okay maybe it is my fault but don't blame me. Blame Bush. Why Bush? You may ask well the answer to that question is just that it seems everyone thoroughly enjoys blaming things on Bush so while he's being blamed for oil prices getting as high as they did I don't think he will care if some teenage girls is blaming the fact that she leaves her readers on cliff hangers frequently. Phew that was a lot of rambling. Anyways thanks once again for all those amazing reviews! Please review once again and maybe I will finally put an end to the cliff hangers. *cough*don't count on it *cough* ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay I just wanted to say that I am dedicating this chapter to jirrG for always leaving awesome reviews and really making my day. Thanks so much for all of your encouraging words!**

**Note italics signal that they are speaking in Hebrew**

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McGee and Abby had set their food out and were now staring at the buffet of Chinese foods. Each grab one of the take-out cartons and a set of chop sticks and begin digging around in the containers. "So there wasn't any physical evidence at the crime scene?" Abby questions after she swallows her first mouthful of noodles.

"I'm not sure, I wasn't there. Tony said there was some more rope."

"Maybe it was best they didn't bring anything back. I don't think I could stand it if I had to test the DNA of sweat on rope one more time," Abby comments remembering the endless tests she had to do on the last bunch of ropes.

"We already know who took her," McGee says and the stays silent for a minute before continuing. "And why."

"McGee!" Abby exclaims and he looks up at her startled at the sudden outburst. "What Gibbs say if he knew you were assuming?"

"Uh, don't," he replies and Abby stares at him defiantly before raising her hand and smacking the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That is what Gibbs would say for assuming."

"Gibbs hasn't even done that in five months," McGee reminds her.

"I've wondered about that. It's very un-Gibbs. Do you think something's wrong?" Abby questions and sets down one carton and picks up another.

"Maybe he just decided to be nicer to us," McGee suggests and Abby slowly looks up from her take-out container and stares at him. "Well maybe we just haven't done anything to deserve it lately," McGee says but his mind quickly flashes back to several times the deserved in the past few days never minds weeks. "Wow you're right. Maybe there is something wrong..."

"Yeah McGee," Tony says as he comes in. His melancholic look replaced with one of determination. "Since we have no idea where Ziva is or how to find her I'd say that that's a problem." Tony's eyes look at the large display of food on Abby's desk. "What is this?"

"Uh, well we were hungry and since there's not really anything we can-"

"What is it?" Tony demands and McGee knows what the look on Tony's face means.

"It's uh, well. It is food."

"Did we find Ziva?" Abby looks down as she watches all of Tony's sadness and frustration be channeled into anger and his helplessness change into stubbornness.

"No," is her quiet response.

"Well until we do," Tony starts and then takes the food from the two agents hands and slamming it down on the desk. "We don't eat."

"Tony there isn't anything we can do right-"

"Then find something!" Tony interrupts. "I don't care if you have to fly to Israel and get every possible suspect and bring them back here to investigate him. Because until we find Ziva we do not eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom! Are we clear?"

"Yes, boss. Uh ,Gibbs. I-i mean Tony. Yes, Tony," McGee finally manged to stutter out and Abby's fights back a giggle.

"Something funny, Scuito?"

"Besides you calling me Scuito? Well there-"

"Hey!" Tony says and Abby realizes that although he may act alot like Gibbs, he wasn't Gibbs and therefore she didn't get special treatment. She missed the special treatment.

"I'll run Ziva's cell phone again and try to see if we can get a GPS fix on it now."

"Good. Probie, come with me. We're gonna go get the physical evidence from the warehouse," Tony says and he and a rather frightened McGee walk out leaving Abby to herself, but only for a second until McGee runs back in and hands Abby twenty bucks.

"I told you he wouldn't take more than an hour until he snapped," Abby says.

"Probie!"

"Coming b-" McGee says but stops himself before he can complete it. "Someone needs to head slap me if I don't stop calling Tony boss."

Abby laughs and spins on her heel back to her computer. Her smile is quickly faded as she remembers her task. Maybe they should go to Israel.

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The plane lands smoothly and Michael walks over to Ziva and re-cuffs her. _"Are they too tight my dear?"_ Michael asks and Ziva lifts her foot kicking him right in the groin. She smiles contently as she listens to his low groan but is quickly pulled from her moment and harshly pushed forward by her father.

_"There is no need to get violent, Ziva_," her father says and loosens the cuffs so that they do not squeeze her wrists but not so much that she can pull her hands through. _"Is_ _that better?"_

_"No,"_ she says and suddenly feels a hard pull on the back of her shirt. Her father takes her by the shoulders to turn her to face him.

_"Do not make this anymore difficult than it must be," _he says and Ziva fights back the urge to spit in his face and say many words that came to mind when she thought of her father. _"As soon as things are finished you may return back. Perhaps not to as many people and it depends on if they want you back..."_

Ziva blinks back tears at the words of her father. They would not hurt any of her NCIS family would they? She would understand if they did not want to take her back but she needed assurance that they would not hurt any of them. If it were anyone else in the world that was forcefully yet gently thrusting her forward then perhaps a promise from them would calm her. To her father the word promise meant nothing unless used in a threat. She would know. _"You will not kill me?" _she questioned not hiding around the bush. Or was around the shrub? Perhaps tree? She would have to ask Tony when she saw-_If_ she saw him again.

_"That depends."_

_"On what?"_

_"Your cooperation," _Ziva sighs at those words. Of course she did not want to help him destroy a country she had come to love greatly. The country which held the people she loved more.

_"I can not promise you that."_

_"And I can not promise that you or your friends will not be harmed."_

_"I know. You can promise nothing."_ A few years ago Ziva would have never dared say a thing like that to him but as she walked slowly, tiredly, and angrily towards yet another black she did not hide her thoughts, her feelings yes, but it was time for him to hear harsh words that described the pain he had inflicted upon her throughout her life. Ziva searched her mind for the correct American idiom but was lost on what it was but she did know one thing. It was time he understood what he had done to her. He had broken Ziva.

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Frustrated did not even begin to describe how Gibbs felt as he slammed the door to the director's office. Sylvia jumped in her seat at the sudden loud noise and nodded at Gibbs as he walked by signaling that she understood. After all she could hear most of Gibbs' side of the conversation. He quickly made his way down the stairs and walked into the squad room. "You two had better have something!" he demanded but finds that he is yelling at nothing but an empty room. "Where the hell'd they go?" Gibbs asks himself and then walks over to the elevator slamming the button to go down to the lab. He paces in the elevator as he once again runs desperately through his mind on what to do.

He was pissed at Ziva for not telling him about this when it all started. He was angry with DiNozzo for not telling him as soon as he figured it out like they had agreed. and he was also pissed at Ziva for leaving to go for a run while she knew there was trained Mossad assasins trying to capture her. Right now, though none of that really seemed to matter. What mattered was finding her alive and unharmed, then he'd be pissed at her. First he had to worry, hope, pray and fear. Then he could be angry. If they found her in time that is.

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_"Stay here for a moment with Michael," _Ziva's father says and she nods. She had been placed into his office and Michael goes to sit down in the chair across from the desk while she remains standing with her hands still useless to her. She tried her best not to move them too much from the extreme pain that would shoot through them when anything came into contact with the new painful friction burns that circled her entire wrist from the previous tightness of the item. Ziva worried as she stood in the place she had spent much time in only a couple months ago. There was no way to find her and who knows how Gibbs would be able to stop the terrorist attack. Even if they miraculously found her she could not tell them what his plans were or how to stop them. She only knew that whatever it was it must be very very destructive and she was sure it had taken a large amount of planning. Who knows how long her father had been working on this? It could be years. It could still be a long while before he executed it or he could be doing so at this very moment. She did not know.

Michael watched her like a hawk noting her every movement, every expression, every blink or breath she took. Ziva despised this man. Had she once said she loved him? Yes. Had she once, or actually many more times than that, physically told him she loved him? Absolutely. Did she love him now? No. Did she love him then? Not even for a second. Yet as he sat there with a smug smile and a blank expression Ziva remembered their actions, their moments, secrets, everything. It was a mistake that she made during one of the most confusing and worst times of her life. Of course where on the list of worst moments she did not know but it was up there. He knew he could take control of her vulnerability and he did just that. She was so hungry and desperate for the familiarity of comfort and love that she took any opportunity for it. Yet everything they did, every touch, kiss, caress, it was empty. Every word spoken meant nothing, at least not to her. Maybe that is why he was doing this to her now. Torturing her. In his eyes maybe she deserved it. In her eyes she did deserve it. Yet she still did not want to endure it.

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"There's not much here," McGee comments as he and Tony begin bag and tagging the very few items in the abandoned building. They had nothing more aside from rope and two chairs and McGee doubted that they would be able to get anything from them but of course that did not matter. If it gave in the slightest hint of where Ziva may be it was more important than thousands of dollars.

"There is something here though, right?"

"Yeah Tony, maybe we can get something off of this stuff," McGee says just wanting to help Tony. This was hard on all of them but it was even harder on Tony, he loved Ziva. Whether he admit it or not, he loved her. "What'd you guys do with the body anyways?"

"Ducky came and got him, Probie. What did you think we did with him burn him?" Tony questions sarcastically and keeps his mouth shut on how Tony was contradicting himself since he always told Ziva to stop with the sarcasm.

"Did Ducky find anything?"

"Yeah. The guy's dead," Tony says as he covers one of the chairs in plastic and awkwardly lifts it wincing slightly at the pain that goes through his shoulder from where he was almost shot last week.

"Well I was just wondering about the ID or something I-"

"Probie, shush," Tony says and holds his finger up listening intently for the sound he'd heard moments ago. The sound happens again and Tony identifies it as a sneeze coming from the corner of the building behind a few boxes. Tony and McGee both draw their guns and quietly begin making their way over there neither sure of what to expect. "Freeze NCIS!"

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**Yes that is right another cliff hanger. Sorry if this wasn't that great of a chapter it was sort of a filler for some of the bigger things to come next week. Meanwhile try and guess who it is behind the boxes I love to see if you guys can figure it out. Have a great week :)**


	16. Chapter 16

"Tell me what you've got, Duck," Gibbs says once he's entered autopsy. He would have been there sooner but screaming at the director caused him to have a slight set back. He stares down at the Israeli man who is laying cut open on the cold, hard slab.

"Well not much, Jethro. He had his appendix removed and was currently recovering from a gun shot wound."

"That one right there?" Gibbs questioned pointing his finger at the bullet that had killed the man.

Ducky smiles but shakes his head and lifts the man's arm to reveal a still slightly opened wound, "That one."

"How old was he?" Gibbs questioned. The man could be no older than his early twenties. It reminded Gibbs of a few years ago when he shot the young man who was posing as Kate's killer. He remembered the words he had spoken to Jenny on the situation. How his purpose was to die so Ari could live. This man was sent to die so that Ziva could be murdered.

"According to spinal growth, no older than eighteen or nineteen," Ducky says. "So young and yet he willingly gave up his own life. Tell me why is that," Ducky questions the body and Gibbs is all ready to leave until the doctor speaks up again. "You will find her, Jethro."

"Is that a question or a statement?" Gibbs ask his voice low, almost a growl. Ducky stands and meets the marine in the eyes.

"A proclamation."

Gibbs keeps his eyes on the doctor and Ducky, unlike the others, does not back but merely stares back. After a few moments Gibbs turns and leaves nearly running into Palmer who quickly jumps out of the way. "Sorry, Agent Gibbs I-" he stops short seeing no reason in continuing to explain himself to the air.

"Perhaps it was because of those you worked with," Ducky says talking, once again, to the body.

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Five minutes more of being silently stared at by Michael Rivkin and Ziva was pretty sure she would willingly kill herself. He would not speak, nor would she. She dared not look at him, he dared not stop looking at her. She wanted to scream, "Haven't I been through enough!" but obviously knew better. Silence is what she had come to know throughout the past day or however long it had been when you dealt with the time difference and all the technicalities. All she knew is that it had been much too long, like a dream that you desperately want to wake up from but just can't seem to open your eyes and make it stop. Make the horrifying words be silent, make the sights disappear. The thing she hated most about her dreams is that there was no control over what she did with herself. Sometimes she would stand and be beaten, beaten by Ari, as he screamed at her asking how she could have possibly killed him after all he had done to protect her. She would not fight back, she would not try and justified herself, she would simply let him beat her. They say that dreams are composed of the subconsciousness own wishes and desires. Her dreams told her things about herself that even she did not know. Maybe she wanted to feel the justice of Ari beating her. Ziva oftenly questioned how she could have killed her own brother. If he was a monster than so was she, even if he was making terrible decisions, even if he was about to murder an innocent man. Ari was her family, she should have protected her family with everything within her.

The three of them, Ari, Ziva and Tali, were all that they had while growing up. Ziva and Tali's mother died when they were still young. Ziva was about nine and Tali only four, sadly as Tali grew older she remembered more about their mother whereas Ziva remembered less as the years wore on. Once Tali died it became just Ziva and Ari but by then Ari had already gone away to medical school. His mother died shortly after Tali passed and after that their conversations and his visits became fewer and farther apart. He was no longer a daily part of her life. Ziva was left on her own, alone without any help or guidance. She would have no one to turn to when things got unbearable and that is when she took her training to the absolute extreme. She took every lesson dead seriously and would practice every skill until it was nothing short of perfect. She strived to please herself but she knew from her dreams that she also strived to please her father and Ari. Once Ziva Had become part of Mossad her and Ari grew close again. Ziva saw a difference but ignored it. Blaming it on the amount of time they had spent apart. Then suddenly he was back in her life and he needed a favor, for her to prove his innocence to a certain group of people known as NCIS. The idea of once again going on adventures with her brother sounded fantastic to her and when she heard what it was he was being blamed for she was positive he had not done. She believed that she knew who Ari was and all in two minutes everything she thought she knew and could count on had changed.

She began to question what he had said about their father. When Gibbs asked her if she believed what Ari had said she gave the absolute honest answer, the same one that was constantly running through her mind. "No. Yes. Maybe." Now as she stood here, her hands immobile, her body battered, her heart broken, she had her answer. Yes.

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Tony and McGee stared in shock at who they saw huddled in the corner. They quickly holstered their guns and exchanged their looks of anger to ones of kindness. There, in the corner, sat a young Israeli girl. Her hair was matted and tangled, her clothes were dirty and rumpled, her face was blood stained with smudges of dirt all across it. Tony bent down to the small girls level and McGee did the same both offering a sympathetic smile. "Shalom," Tony says to her and she looks surprised at the man's usage of Hebrew. She studies him and does not take the hand he offers to help her up but eventually they hear a small voice saying, "Shalom," back to Tony. They took note that although she was in horrid conditions she had no tear streaks on her face, in fact if she were cleaner it would have been hard to even detect the abuse that was clearly imposed upon her. Her eyes move from Tony over to McGee who was just staring at her curiously with hundreds of questions running through his mind. "McGee, go call Gibbs and tell him what we've found," Tony says so that he will stop gawking at the young girl. She stared at him, her eyes showing little emotion but does give him a small half smile that, had you not of been watching, you never would have noticed. Tony once again offers his hand and she accepts it and he helps her to her feet. The girl is so small, as though she has not eaten in weeks. She can be no older than five or six. Tony tries to think of some of the Hebrew words he'd picked up over the last few years from Ziva but didn't think it'd be good to tell the little girl to shut up or have a nice trip. He knew goodnight and quite a few curses and thank you also. That's it thought, he always knew he should have paid more attention, not just with Hebrew but just about everything in general.

"Gibbs said to bring her back to NCIS," McGee says reappearing.

"Well let's get the stuff and go then, Probie," Tony says. He picks up one of the plastic wrapped chairs and McGee grabs the other along with the rope. Tony, still at loss for words just jerks his head signaling for the child to follow them.. She follows him and stands back and studies as the two of them try and maneuver the chairs into the small car. "I said left, Probie!"

"I'm trying Tony," he says as he tilts the chair a bit more to the right.

"Left! Didn't anyone ever teach you how to tell the difference?" Tony inquires since it seemed every time the told him to get left or right he went the opposite.

"It's hard to do anything when you guys are yelling at me."

"Probie! We're federal agents not extras on seaseme street."

"I know, I'm sorry. Wait, no I'm not," McGee quickly corrects and finally they manage to slide one chair in. As they go to pick up the next one they turn and see the young girl giggling at the animated argument between the two grown men.

"At least someone finds humor in this..." Tony says as once again they lift the chair and try to slide it into the space next to it. After some more struggle and a lot more screaming it finally squeezes in enough so they can slam the door shut. "Make a memo," Tony says panting from both the yelling and from maneuvering the chair. "hat next time we pick up any bulky physical evidence to bring the damn truck." They both get in on their sides and Tony starts the engine and just as he puts the car in drive remembers a rather important part of the evidence. He looks out his window to see her standing there staring at him. "Crap."

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"Okay Gibbs, you need to go hover somewhere else," Abby says as he, once again, stands over her shoulder as she, once again, tries to get a fix on Ziva's father's cell. Until Tony and McGee returned with the physical evidence she had nothing else to do and until Tony and McGee returned with the little girl Gibbs had nothing to do.

"I don't have anywhere else, Abs."

"Go yell more at the director. You know they say that it's good to get angry sometimes it can help lower your blood pressure. Because when you get angry you release stress and stress is the leading cause of heart attacks."

"I thought they said McDonalds was the leading cause for heart attacks?"

"Yeah well nine out of ten dentists recommend every single tooth paste ever created so try and figure that one out," Abby says and turns back to her computer as it once again tells her that the cell phone can not be traced. "You know I wonder what all of those extra dentists suggest. All of the ones that are left out."

"Maybe they suggest nothing."

"I like it. It's like they're trying to establish individuality or maybe they don't clean their teeth. Although that's kind of hypocritical but just about everyone is hypocritical when you think about it I mean-"

"Yeah, Gibbs," Gibbs says as he answers his phone interrupting Abby's senseless rant. "I'll be right up," he says and turns to leave.

"I'll see ya later, Abs thanks for letting me hang out here," Abby says in a deep voice before switching back to her own. "Your welcome Gibbs I had fun. Even if you do hover."

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The elevator dings and Tony turns to see Gibbs exit and make his way over to him and the young girl who was seated at Tony's desk. "Hi, boss. Abby get anything?"

"Yeah, DiNozzo, she found Ziva and they're french braiding hair downstairs in the lab," Gibbs says and looks at the little girl who stares back at him studying every detail and committing it to memory. "She speak any English?"

"I don't know," Tony replies since he had not even thought to ask her.

"Did you say anything to her?"

"Shalom."

Gibbs rolls his eyes and then kneels down to the girls level staring her in the eyes. "Do you speak any English?"

She stares at him for a moment, as though registering his words. "A little," she says her voice small but her accent thick.

"How did you get in that building?" Gibbs asked thankful that, as of yet, an interpreter was not necessary.

"A plane. It take me there and then a car."

"Do you remember the numbers and letters on the back of it?" Gibbs asks and she stops trying to remember the exact order of them and then how to say each one in English.

"One-Five-A-Seven-E-J," she reports to him and Gibbs nods at her rather impressed.

"You get that, DiNozzo? One-Five-Alpha-Seven-Echo-Juliet."

"Got it, boss," he says and goes over to Ziva's desk so he can put a BOLO out on it.

"What's your name?" Gibbs questions once he realizes that all they knew her as right now was "little girl".

"Hannah," she tells him pronouncing her 'H's' with a very clear Hebrew accent.

"That's a good name. What else can you remember about what was going on?"

"The man he was the..." she strays off trying to think of the correct English word but just says a Hebrew word.

"What's that, Gibbs?"

"Director. The man who took her was Ziva's father."

"Why?" Tony asks not understanding why someone would take a random child to America while going murder someone and then proceed to leave her behind. It just didn't make any sense. Unless they wanted them to find her.

"Don't ask me."

"He spoke me to stay out and to leave in after." Tony smiled if he thought Ziva's English was bad he was wrong. It was still good for someone so young though. "I heard him spoke when he was in."

"What did he say?" Gibbs asks hoping that maybe she could tell them some sort of clue as to where Ziva was.

"I only listened at the when he was next to the boar," she looked down but then stared right back into Gibbs' eyes which were kind yet still held there usual strength and stubbornness. "He said he would bring her to Israel."

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**Okay so now Gibbs and Tony know where Ziva is. I really really don't like this chapter just due to the fact that I find it poorly written and I don't like the little girl plot but oh well it will have to do. Depends on what you guys think I may rewrite it if you also don't like it so let me know what you thought. Sorry if it did suck and I wasted your time. Have a good day :) **


	17. Chapter 17

"This will do for you, right?" Ziva's father asks as he leads her to a small, simple bedroom with a bed and a nightstand. Ziva took notice of the bolts that kept the windows tightly shut and only a light weight lamp was provided leaving her no object to break the glass. Her father knew what she could do, would do, in order to get away. There was a heavy duty lock on the door from the outside so she could not break the door down, although it was not as if she could do that even if it was different since she was sure her father would have one or two men sit outside the door and listen to make sure she did not do anything that could actually lead to her escape. There was a small bathroom and Ziva smiled at the prospect of a shower. Sometimes small things could make horrible situations just slightly and momentarily better. Of course there was no phone or anything she could use to communicate with anyone from back home. Bottled water and a magazine were also provided and Ziva knew that her father was trying to make her feel like a guest, not a prisoner. Even men like him must have somewhat of a conscious.

"No," Ziva tells him truly not caring if she angers him or not. He's trying to kill her and all those she cares about; she could be a little bitchy. "I want to go home."

"Ah, but my dear daughter you are home. This is where you were raised and this is where you belong," her father tells her and Ziva realizes that although Israel is where she has come from and is the country of whom she protects, to her DC was home. The place where she had found comfort, the place where she had learned to have fun. Where she was able to be a child even if only for a moment. It was no longer all about bombings and attacks. Not every house had a bomb shelter and not every family owned a gun. You did not have to fear for your life every time you stepped outside your door and you could let others see your weaknesses along with your strengths. Trusting was not stupid and loving was not irresponsible. Maybe this was more about her father than Israel. About her life here, not every one's. All she could be certain of was that she did not belong in Israel, not with these people, and that she never had.

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"So there's a Hebrew girl downstairs and she's saying Ziva's in Israel?" Abby questions McGee after he hangs up the phone from talking to Tony. Appearently the three of them, Tony, McGee and Gibbs, were going to Israel. McGee still hadn't gone back upstairs since he and Abby got to talking as usual.

"Yeah and now we're all going to Israel," McGee says. "The little girl barely even speaks English, yet we're going completely off of what she's said."

"Well we have had some pretty remarkable kids here before," Abby reminds him. "Plus it's all you guys really have to go off of since so far I've found nothing."

"I know. I just wish we had something more definitive," McGee says and Abby looks at him for a minute before pulling him into a tight hug, her form of comfort. "Thanks Abby."

"My pleasure. Now go find Ziva and keep me posted," Abby tells him and he smiles at her.

"Will do," McGee says and turns to leave looking back to see Abby saluting him. She could cheer anybody up.

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"Still nothing back on the BOLO, boss," Tony informs Gibbs who was still talking with Hannah. Tony handed her a bottle of water and was surprised when she took it but sniffed it's contents before continuing.

"To da," she says telling Tony "thank you" in Hebrew.

"Who is your Aba and Ima?" Gibbs asks and she looks down avoiding eye contact with him.

"A man shoot my Aba," she tells him. "My Ima, she no love me." For the first time through all of this Tony sees tears build in her eyes but she blinks hard and several times so that they go away and then takes a drink of water.

"Who takes care of you?" Gibbs asks and the small child once again meets him in the eye and they no longer show her sadness, they show nothing.

"My savta. Me and Ima live their but Ima ever stays."

Gibbs nods and gives her a minute before asking another question. "Does she know where you are?"

"Ken," Hannah says and then remembers that she should use her English. "Yes."

"Why are you here?" Tony asks still wondering of what purpose a small child could do to prevent them from finding Ziva. If anything she was helping them, wouldn't Ziva's father have figured that? He was a smart man, smart enough to realize that this was in no way a set back.

"I do not know. My savta bring me to the man who take me here. She did not care what he did to me," Hannah says.

"What's your whole name?" Gibbs asks wondering if she was somehow connected to Ziva.

"Hannah Caitlyn Haswari."

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Tony sighed as he threw another few shirts into his bag. They were to pack their things and then take a private flight to Israel. They were granted the right to take Director David into custody but they were not to charge him until the whole story had been told. Originally it was told to them that taking him into to custody was not even allowed but as soon as the fear-stricken word of terrorist was mentioned it was given that he would be brought back to the states. Vance did not seem to believe them or even work with them for all of this. Tony wanted to think that this man could have something to do with this whole ordeal but his gut told him that Vance merely did not want to believe what one of his close friends was planning and had begun putting into action.

The apartment looked no different from the last time Tony had been there. Even her note was still laying abandoned on the kitchen counter and her bag still tossed carelessly in the corner. A bottle of wine and a box of pizza were laid out in front of the TV along with Casablanca which the two of them had watched the night before she went for that damn jog. The bed was unmade, not that that was anything different for Tony.

Tony's thoughts were like an overloaded train. Going at high speed with so much to handle that it is about to spill over but there is no way to stop it. It is like Tony is on autopilot as he does everything. One second he is laying on his couch thinking about her and the next he is showered and dressed still thinking about her. His subconscious took care of everything he had to deal with while his mind played through his thoughts. The thoughts that followed him endlessly. Even last night as he desperately tried to fall asleep all he could think about was her. It was as though there was a movie in his head that just replayed the memories. From three years ago to just a week ago when she had fallen asleep while watching The Sound of Music and they had then proceeded to stay the night together. Her laugh was like a soundtrack and her words were the voice over. Things they had said to each other, things they hadn't. Tony remembered what Paula Cassidy had told him a few years ago, something that had a much different meaning then than it did now. She had told him that life is just too short to not tell someone you loved them. Tony had never been really cared to use the word love. Tony feared love, love tore his family apart at least that is what he used to believe. Now he understood it was not love that had done that to them, but hate.

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Ziva had finally been left alone and was now laying, wide awake, in bed. She had taken her shower which was pure bliss for the whole ten minutes of hot water she had received. Now she had been left to her thoughts. Thoughts that haunted her ones of fear and sadness, memories of what led her to be who she is today. Who she was at that very second she spent staring up in the darkness of the prison she had been sent to. Memories she had blocked out for years were seeping into her mind. She remembered when she was only eight years old and her mother was teaching her an old family recipe. Ziva remembered every little detail of that glorious day, one of the last blissful and carefree days she had with her mother, the last one she had forever. The fragrances and the tastes, how her mother had pulled Ziva's unruly hair into a braid so that "she would not be eating hair soup" her mother had told her. Ziva remembered how her mother had given her an apron and how long it was on her but that she had insisted on wearing the garment.

Ziva remembered when Tali had coming rushing into the room fully drenched in four year old excitement that she always seemed to carry with her, even when she was fourteen. Ziva had told her young sister that it was her special time with mommy, that Tali got too much mommy time and now Ziva got a turn. Tali had started crying but instead of giving a lecture Ziva told Tali that they would call her when they needed a taste tester and the bright smile returned to the small girls face. Ziva used to wonder if her smile took up her whole face since when Tali smiled there was no trace of sadness left in her. It was as though she was on top of the world when she smiled because that is exactly what she looked like.

Ziva remembered how later that day when the three of them sat in the kitchen how her mother had sung a sweet sounding lullaby one that Ziva later begged her mother to teach her. Ziva remembered how the night had ended badly when her father had come home. Something bad had happened that day and her father was in a foul mood. They had all learned from past experiences to not do anything that could upset their father but he would still find something to complain about. If her father was in a bad mood there was no way to get out of the screams and the pain that was inflicted upon them. Then the next day it would not be discussed and when they would all leave their home they were to act as though they were the happiest family, as though nothing was wrong. ZIva would love those days out because her father never yelled, never hit. He would talk kindly to them almost sickeningly so. She had caught onto the fact that he would do nothing if she acted out and then begun taking complete advantage of it. She quickly learned her lesson when they came home from one outing when she had over done it and she received a prompt and well deserved beating. Ziva understood after that that she was to be perfect at all times, end of story.

When her mother died a few short months later the bond between her and Tali became so strong that it was as though they were more than sisters. Ziva became the nurturer and protector of Tali, she became the replacement mom. Ari had already begun to drift away at that time and went to boarding school during the fall Ziva turned ten. Leaving the young girl to take care of herself but also her small and fragile sister. Tali took to sleeping in Ziva's bed with her and they would hide out together when their father was in a bitter mood. Ziva would do an impersonation of their father when he was angry and how he would so easily switch when they went out. She did it so exaggeratedly and yet so truthfully that she would have both herself and her sister on the floor laughing with pure joy.

Even as Ziva grew older she and Tali stayed close. Rarely would Ziva go anywhere without her younger sister and that did not bother Ziva much at all. Tali was still recovering from the loss of their mother while Ziva mourned the loss of her brother even if he was still alive he was not with her and that broke her heart. Ziva went into training for Mossad as soon as she became a legal adult and she remembered Tali warning her to not turn into daddy. Even at fourteen Tali was still very innocent and naive but she would not have been Tali if she was throwing knives and aiming guns because that was not Tali. Tali did not believe in war or death that was unnecessary. She believed in life and she told Ziva that many times as they grew up. She found it so strange that they wold do everything to save someone from a disease yet some of those same people could go kill someone that had no reason to die. It made no sense to her and she said that she hoped it never would.

One day in the winter Ziva had received news that the same little sister that despised war so much was killed by a bomb. The same little sister that she had raised and that had become her best friend was gone. Ziva was there while they buried her body next to their mother's. Ziva did not cry that day, nor did her father or Ari that had come to the funeral only to return home to another. Ziva only cried when it was dark and when no one else could see or hear her, then it was safe to cry. One day she decided that tears were unacceptable and unnecessary and that she would not allow herself to cry again, end of story. Her training became her life, no relationships, no friendships, just learning how to kill.

Ziva laid in bed thinking of all of these things, remembering all of these things. Memories she had spent her whole life burying in her mind, yet she had never managed to dig the hole very deep because it took no more than a moment to remember.

Her mind switched to her life now. All that she had now. The life she had found or more like the life that had found her. The life where pain was traded for comfort, sadness for joy, anger for love. This life was the life she wanted to live. As she lay there thinking the melody of a song ran through her mind. It's soft, calming piano and the honest, truthful lyrics. One part continuously ran through her mind. It seemed to explain some of her thoughts so perfectly and as she lay there she sang in a quiet, barely audible voice.

For me it's a glance and the smile on your face,  
The touch of your hand and an honest embrace.  
For where I lay it's you I keep this changing world I fall asleep,  
With you all I know is I'm coming home,  
Coming home.

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**  
Another day, another chapter. I never intended it to be so long but I really got into the last part but I hope it's okay, not too long or dull or anything. Thanks to all of you who reviewed last chapter and I hope you do for this one too. Have a great day, or night depending on when you're reading this because right now it's almost midnight :)**

Savta means Grandmother in Hebrew sorry I didn't clarify that in the story!


	18. Chapter 18

Tony may love planes with all of the fancy accessories and on any other occasion would be excitedly pointing out all the amazing details of the expensive and small plane they were on but instead of the usual chatter and teasing between Tony and McGee and Gibbs' eye rolls and head slaps they sat in silence. Nervousness was treated as awkwardness as the three agents sat in their respective seats. McGee chewed on peanuts, Gibbs was staring at his cell phone apparently expecting it to just do what he wanted it to do like the his agents did and Tony, once again, fell into his thoughts and wonderings. He hated this, all the thinking and the "what ifs". He hated what ifs. Hate them with a passion and yet they constantly ran through his mind. The little negative voice that followed every positive thought. _What if she's already dead? What if there is nothing you can do to help her? What if right now in Israel they're hurting her and beating her but you aren't there to help her? What if you really and truly did fail her? What if she hates you for it? _They wouldn't stop and it got to the point where he wanted to put his hands over his ears and just yell for them to stop. He couldn't even think of what he would do if he lost her too. He just couldn't imagine placing her picture on his dresser. He remembered what she had told him one night when they had been watching a movie and they began talking about Tali, _"There are very few who deserve to die, but there are also so few who really deserve to live. Tali was one of them." _Ziva was knew very well that she could take care of herself but everyone needs help at one point or another. Whether they say so or not is up to them.

Gibbs began to smack the phone against the arm of the chair in frustration as it continued to refuse to turn on. Of course more of the frustration was coming from what their current operation was. Save Ziva. Of all things he had investigated and dealt with during the last eighteen years as an NCIS agent this was one he never thought he'd be doing. Especially this certain situation. Gibbs could not even begin to comprehend how someone could be trying to murder their very own daughter. Especially after they had already lost two other children. How could you possibly even begin to think of killing your child despite what they would do or say. In Gibbs' mind it did not matter if your daughter was trying to push you off a cliff, he could never switch sides and push her down in order to save himself. It was not possible, yet here her own father was using everything he could to murder his own daughter, own baby girl, own little princess. Suddenly the phone had gone from Gibbs' hand to against the wall on the other side of the plane and fell to the floor with a thump. Gibbs would have done anything to save his own daughter, own baby girl, own princess and that should be what Ziva's father is trying to do. No matter what.

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Abby and Ducky were in Abby's lab watching Hannah. Of course, they were both waiting for her to do something for them to watch. She sat completely still with a completely stone set expression and barely even answered the questions that the forensic scientist and medical examiner asked. Abby had never even seen anyone sit so still in their life never mind a little girl doing so. Ducky had seen quite a few people do so, they were all dead but they were very still. Abby felt the urge to go hop on a treadmill as she watched the statue of a child. She ran through a list of various things she could do with Hannah but since the first twenty-eight suggestions had been declined Abby doubted that Hannah would suddenly get excited about testing DNA or selecting random objects to put in the maspectrometer to test what chemicals were contained in that certain random item. One of Abby's favorite thing to do when she was without actual work. Ducky had also thought of several things to do with Hannah but only Abby got excited at the prospect of going to get ice cream. Eventually they had given up and instead just sat there watching her watch the back wall.

"We could go take a tour?" Abby suggested as more of a question than an actual suggestion. In her surprise Hannah looked up at her and answered.

"I do not need a baby sleeper," Hannah tells her and Abby suppresses a laugh.

"We know, dear," Ducky says but obviously neither of them make any move to leave.

"I can protect myself," she tells them and they exchange looks. Where had they heard that comment before?

"We're not here for protecion," Abby tells the little girl since if she needed protection they might want to put her with someone who had a gun instead of a sixty year old medical examiner and the scientist who has nearly been killed herself many times. "We're here to keep you company."

"I company myself most of the time at home. I do not need company here," she tells them and Abby frowns at the idea of a little girl all alone for most of the time during her day.

"Well, I need someone to keep me company," Abby tells her.

"Ah, yes me too. Bodies always listen well but someone who talks back to me is even better."

Hannah stares up at the two strange, yet very kind people who stood in front of her. She knew that savta would not like it if she played with them. She knew that her savta would be even angrier if she found out that she was helping them. She was taught to help only herself, worry of others was pointless and would do nothing but get her killed but Hannah liked helping people and making them feel better. She often wished that someone would want to help her. Maybe they wanted to help her and if she helped them and they helped her then...Savta would hate it even more but what savta did not know could not murder her, right? "What is a tour?"

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Nights were tiring to Ziva. As ridiculous as that is nights absolutely exhausted her. If you could actually sleep then they were okay. If you could sleep peacefully they were great but on the nights when you could not sleep it was torturous. At home she could read a book or, if she was with Tony, watch a movie but tonight she could none of that. The magazine had already been read, at least the parts that she found remotely interesting. The best prices on menorahs was not exactly her choice for a good read. Then all she was left to do was lay in silence. God how she had grown to hate silence. It had come to the point where she would rather listen to nails scratching on a chalkboard then listen to the sound of nothing for one more second. She had no choice though. Even after an endless string of memories and many tears and even more prayers she was desperate to be lulled into a sleep. A sleep of any kind, whether it be a restless one where you wake up feeling even more tired than you did when you fell asleep or the kind of sleep where you hear, smell and feel nothing. The kind where you dream, dream of terrible things or of blissful things, or the kind where you wake up and all you remember is falling asleep. Whether it be like when you seem to have slept for days or when it feels as though you blink your eyes and it is another day. She did not care. She just wanted to sleep. The silence from sleep and the silence from life were two totally different things and despite her many attempts to change the silence of one for another she had, so far, not been successful.

It was getting to the point where she would do anything to end this terrible feeling. The feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. The feeling of being alone and stalked only by her demons. The feeling of falling. Falling into a bottomless pit, falling that did not stop, never ended. The kind where you try to grab onto something to save yourself but then you realize there is nothing to grab, nothing to stop the falling that never ended. She wanted it to end. Even if at the end there was no one to catch her it had to be better than to be falling so far that you can not see where you fell from and yet still not be able to see where you are going to land.

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Tony had been in Israel for a few minutes before his mind declared something to him. _"Be very, very grateful that you live in America." _It was very hot and no one was all that friendly. They would get a various amount of glares as they drove down the dusty roads. That was most likely because they were American though. Currently they were just looking on a place to stay for a few nights until they could return home. With Ziva. No one knew they were coming and Gibbs had not even told Leon that they were going to Israel and he intended to keep it that way. Gibbs had briefed Vance on nothing except his dislike for him. If the director had any suspicions Ducky and Abby were supposed to cover for them. Gibbs knew he could trust them but he was still a little weary on leaving the secret to those two.

They knew that very little sleeping would actually be done until Ziva was found but they still needed a place to put their things and take a shower if they desired to do so. Once they had found a place and checked in they grabbed the items that were necessary and all climbed back into the truck. "So where do you think we should look?" Tony asks and Gibbs turns and looks at Tony.

"Well I don't know, DiNozzo. Where would you keep someone that you've kidnapped?"

"A place where they wouldn't be found," Tony says logically.

"And where would they not be found?" Gibbs asks but is met with a blank stare.

"Somewhere that someone wouldn't look," McGee answers after a few seconds of no response.

"Was that your question, Probie?" Tony asks and McGee's eyebrows furrow together at the question.

"Uh, no. No it wasn't."

"Exactly, no one likes a show off. Somewhere that someone wouldn't look for them, boss," Tony says to Gibbs adding the boss for good measure. He braces himself for a headslap but the familiar feeling of a stinging sensation is missing as Gibbs turns the key in the engine and when nothing happens turns it again so the engine roars to life.

"Good thinking, McGee. Now where's a place where you wouldn't think to look for her?" Gibbs asks and is now met by two blank expressions.

"Um, not the places you would look for her?" McGee asks and Tony does the honor of head slapping him. Gibbs says nothing just stares at both of them for a better, and less obvious, answer.

"In an obvious place," Tony suggests.

"And what would be classified as obvious?"

Tony frowns as yet another trick question is throw his way. "Do we loose points if we say we don't know?"

"No, you gain them," Gibbs says and they once again stare at him confused. "I'd rather hear that you didn't know than an answer that makes as much sense as cell phones that doesn't turn on."

"So where should we look?" McGee asks.

"Well maybe if we went to where her father works we might be able to figure something out."

"You think she could be there?" Tony asks and Gibbs sighs as he puts the truck in drive.

"Right now I wouldn't be surprised if we found her in Paraguay."

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"Is that good?" Ducky asks as Hannah takes a bite off of a candy bar that he bought her from the vending machine.

"Yes, to da," Hannah tells him. They had gone to look at the lab and autopsy and they had also gone to alot of offices and, per Hannah's request, looked at the firearms. However the request for her to use one had to be denied. Their last stop was getting a snack at the vending machines and then they would return back to the squad room where the three of them were going to play Go Fish which they first had to teach Hannah how to play.

"So how can you speak English so well?" Abby asks even though she made many mistakes for five, which is how old she told them she was, she did rather well with it.

"My savta teached it so I could be in Mossad when I was oldest," she tells them.

"Do you want to be in Mossad?" Abby asks her an she crooks her finger for Abby to come closer, as though she has a secret to share.

"My Aba was in Mossad but I learned that he betrayed Mossad for Hamas. Then a man shoot him for betraying Mossad. That is what happens when you betray something, they shoot you or sometimes they will blow you up. My saba was blew up so now my savta is alone," Hannah tells Abby sadly and Abby feels the need to hug the little girl and ever so cautiously and gently wraps her arms around Hannah who, instead of shrinking away melts into the embrace.

"She has you," Abby tells her.

"She no love me. No one loves me." Abby finds herself choking up and her vision is blurred by the tears that begin building in her eyes. She is even more surprised when she feels little drops of water fall onto her shirt. She picks Hannah up and moves over to a chair where she sits down the little girl clinging to Abby through the movement. Both Abby and Ducky wanted to think of something comforting to say. Something that could help her but they could think of nothing so their they sat Abby holding her close as she sobbed and Ducky brushing her hair back away from her face and running his hands calmingly through it. _Somebody must love her right?_ Abby asked herself not believing that this precious little girl could honestly not have anyone who told her that they loved her. It broke Abby's heart to think that that was very likely and it broke her heart even more that all Hannah needed was a hug to completely break down. All she needed was to have someone to care for a minute to start crying because the feeling was so nice that she wanted to keep it with her forever and so as Abby sat there tightly embracing her small and fragile body she tried to remember this feeling of someone caring so that she could keep it with her forever. She liked this feeling, she needed it.

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**Sorry if this chapter was a little on the short side I didn't have as much time to write as I thought I would but hopefully it's still okay! This chapter was basically just a filler before all the big and climatic stuff next chapter so if it was a little on the 'blah' side that's why.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Anyone who lives in America and turns their TV on occasionally most likely knows about the two year old missing girl in Florida. Her name is Caylee Anthony and she was missing for over six months. Police found a skeletal frame of a small child a half mile from her home and today the DNA results have come back that those were the remains of Caylee Anthony. I had no real connection to this girl except that I have been following her story since the minute I heard about it, hoping and praying that she could return home. The story really tugged at my heart as I'm sure it did for many people. The family is in my thoughts and prayers and I ask that you keep them in yours too. This sweet little girl will be greatly missed and I myself have shed a few tears over the loss of her precious life. **

**Rest in peace Caylee Anthony. The missing angel who was tragically found. 3**

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"So how do we go about this?" Tony asks as the three agents sit outside of the main Mossad building.

"It's an office building, DiNozzo. Not a storage cell for bombs," Gibbs says.

"Well I know that, but I mean, we can't just go charging into the building saying that the director has kidnapped his daughter and that we demand he returns her or we shoot them. Honestly I don't think it would work very well."

"What gives you that feeling?" Gibbs asks him sarcastically. Trying to formulate a plan while there is someone next to you asking ridiculous questions was not something Gibbs was good at.

"Uh, we could just say we want to talk the director, couldn't we?" McGee asks and then tries to find an error in that suggestion which he knew Gibbs would.

"You don't think he would figure something out when they tell him that NCIS wants to talk to him? He's Ziva's father and he's trying to kill her, McGee."

"Well yes, boss I know that Mossad are highly intelligent but-"

"I meant that he's her father and he may be trying to kill her but he's not stupid."

"We could tell them that we're FBI," McGee says trying to redeem himself.

"With NCIS badges?" Gibbs questions and is just about ready to tell everyone to shut up when an idea comes to him. "That's actually not a bad idea McGee."

"What? I, uh I thought that you said about the badges and um different letters," McGee stutters out and Tony really wants to clamp a hand over his mouth but is more interested about what Gibbs has to say.

"We could have Abby send us over fake FBI ID cards."

"But our badges..."

"Don't say NCIS, just 'special agent'," Gibbs says.

"I'll call Abby," McGee says and grabs his rented Israeli cell phone and begins to dial the number to Abby's lab.

"That was a good idea, Gibbs," Tony tells him pleased that they, well Gibbs, had figured something out to get one step closer to getting Ziva and bringing her home.

"It wasn't like you were coming up with any," Gibbs says and puts the truck into drive directing it back to the motel.

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"We do not need to tell my savta of this, do we?" Hannah asks becoming fearful at just the thought of what her savta would say if she found out that not only had she been not only helpful but that she had also cried. In front of complete strangers at that.

"We do not have to tell anyone, Hannah," Ducky reassures the girl who smiles gratefully at him.

"To da."

"Al Lo Davar," Ducky replies. After a few years with Ziva he had picked up quite a few Hebrew phrases, and Ducky, being Ducky, had already known a few terms here or there.

"What's your Ima's name?" Abby asks. They knew who her father was but no one knew who her mother or grandmother was.

"Ailish, but whenever we are out we are s'posed to call her Deliah."

"Does your Ima work at the same place your Aba did?"

"Do you mean Mossad or Hamas?" she asks and Ducky and Abby exchange looks. How much did she know about these operations?

"Either."

"Mossad but she is rah me'od," Hannah tells them and Abby turns to Ducky hoping that he knew the meaning of the Hebrew words.

"Very bad," Ducky tells her.

"What makes her bad, Hannah?" Abby asks her and Hannah shifts uncomfortably in her seat. She did not like to talk about her parents or grandparents. She didn't like to talk about anything in Israel.

"She is betraying. Will they shoot her too?" Hannah questions. Even if her mother may never be around and even though she has done many bad things Hannah did not want her to die too. Wasn't loosing a father enough?

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Ziva glared at the man who led her down the hallway with a gun pressed to her back as a reminder of just what her conditions were. The restless night had turned to a dreaded day and now at 0530, even before the sun was up, she was being leaded to an unfamiliar place. Whatever it was Ziva was sure that it had something to do with her father and that he would most definitely be present, what his intentions were was what was still unclear. For all she knew they could be having breakfast or he could be standing there with a gun pointed at her ready to kill her. It did not really matter since she had no choice but to go. The hand cuffs had once again been placed around her wrists and there were two men other than the one with the gun pointed at her walking along side her. Her father certainly knew to not underestimate her, after all he was the one who trained her.

Her arm muscles were sore from being handcuffed all day and her head was hurting almost as much as when she had that hangover, well maybe not quite that much. She honestly did not even think that she would even bother to try and get away, there really was no point to it. She gets away maybe even make it back to America and then the same thing happens all over again, or they just shoot her and end it the easy way. Last night Ziva ran through every possible scenario of how this could go and it always ended up with either her or someone she cared about getting hurt. That is in all the realistic scenarios. The ones where her father pulled her into a hug and apologized for all he had done and then demoted Michael to toilet cleaner were nothing more then her own wishful thinking. The ones where she was harshly beaten and then died from bleeding to death or where she was mocked and spit on before being hung for her supposed betrayal, those were the realities of what could happen. Those were things she had seen happen. Sometimes wishful thinking is better.

One of the guards open a door and ushers her inside. It is a simple room with a table and two chairs, one across from the other. Two cups filled with tea were in front of each place. As of right now she was the only one in the room and before she was seated the handcuffs were removed. Once again she sat there enduring silence as the guards stared at her God only knows what they expected her to do if they blinked. Ziva lifted one of her wrists to examine just how deep the cuts were from the irritation of the handcuffs. They weren't deep but they were very sensitive, like a paper cut or a hang nail. They are the sort of injury that really should not hurt at all but actually sting the most. Just like things that happen in life, words that are said or actions that are done and should barely leave an emotional mark on us can actually scar us for life, can hurt the most whether the pain was intentional or not.

The door opens again and she hears her father's voice dismissing the guards then he appears in front of her and takes the seat across from hers. "Shalom, bat," he says and Ziva considers the absurdity that shalom means not only hello but also goodbye and it also means peace. The ways that that could be deciphered were endless. So many meanings in one word yet they can all connect. Zive does not answer him, just stares. Stares at him with hate and with pure despise. She hides her fear and her sadness, she will not give him the contentment of seeing those feelings. _"Are you going to ignore me or will you speak?" _he asks and Ziva has no intention of answering him._ "Very well then. I will talk."_ ZIva fears what he will say, she wants to prolong it but knows that she can not. _"You have one last mission for Mossad that you must carry out."_

_"Last?" _Ziva questions. No one got out of Mossad unless her father was planning on blaming the terrorist attack on her. Maybe having her jailed? He takes a folder that was next to him and pushes it over to her side. Hesitantly she lifts the cover of the folder and skims it's contents. _"You want me to be the one who carries out the terrorist attack?" _Ziva questions and looks back down at the papers for the rest of the information. He wanted her to go to the upcoming Presidential dinner that was being held in a few weeks and he wanted her to go there with a bomb strapped to her chest and he wanted her to kill everyone at that dinner including herself. _"You want me to be a suicide bomber?" _Ziva no longer cared as fear built up inside of her. Anger was still there, as was hatred but there was no ignoring the fear she felt. How could her father expect her to do such a thing? _"No."_ That was the only word she could say. What difference would it make if she were to die by being a suicide bomber in a couple weeks or if she died by being shot this moment.

_"It was not a request. It is a demand."_

_"No," _she refused to have anything to do with his ridiculous plans that would ruin his relationships with America forever. Why did he even want to do such a thing?

_"Do not make this difficult Ziva," _he warns but she simply shakes her head.

_"No. You want to shoot me? Go ahead but I will not be the one who carries out your insane desires!" _Ziva could honestly not believe what he wanted her to do. Did he actually think she would do such a thing?

_"It is your responsibility to Carry this out. We are family."_

_"Family? That ended when you tried to kill me and my partner," _Ziva tells him.

_"I did not wish to resort to this. Please know that, bat," _he says and then takes the folder back flipping to the back of it and pulling out five photos all with gun shot targets on their heads. Ducky. Abby. McGee. Gibbs. Tony. _"I will shoo them also if you do not fully coop orate."_

Ziva stared at the photos that showed her that every single one of the people she cared for could be killed so easily. But how could she possibly go kill the president and hundreds, possibly thousands more? There had to be a way around this, had to be a different path. He would have to let her back in the US in order to carry this out, right? She would be able to inform officials and figure this out but she would not, could not, sacrifice her friends. Ziva knew what she had to do. _"Yes."_

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**This chapter didn't go the way I had planned it to that's for sure. Sorry if it's a little rough on the writing quality it was a hard chapter to write for some strange reason and a hard day over all. I also apologize for it being on the short side. I just must ask once again that you please keep Caylee's family in your thoughts and prayers as I know I will. Her story has really touched me and I am glad that this is all over but I am also so very devastated by the outcome of it. **

**Thanks once again to all of my reviewers. Have a great weekend!**


	20. Chapter 20

"Just show them your badge and ID," Gibbs tells McGee as he hooks a microphone into the hankerchief in McGee's jacket pocket. McGee was shifting the earwig in his ear to make it more comfortable and was trying to keep from having a panic attack all at the same time. McGee had been given a completely new identity to increase their chances of him not being recognized. He was now Jim McGregory and had a mustache and glasses, with a camera of course. Obviously the director of Mossad probably knew just about everything about them therefore actually pulling this off would prove to be rather difficult. McGee, or rather McGregory was a part of the CIA and needed to discuss some business with the director about a possible mole that was working for Mossad but was giving information to Alkaida. The terrorist's name was Destor Cabasada Gatchalian. A man who was actually on the NCIS most wanted list except he was wanted for desertion and rape of a child. The CIA had come into contact with Gatchalian when he took hostage of one of their agents and would not release them unless given information. They wanted information on him and permission to take him into custody and figured it would be best to do this face to face than on the phone or through video conference. McGee was to keep his eyes and ears open for any signs of Ziva during his visit and they'd already established a code for how to update Tony and Gibbs who would be staying in the truck watching everything from McGee's lap top. McGee was to crack his knuckles noticeably if he thought he heard or saw any signs of Ziva and he was to use the name Kate if he believed Ziva to be... Well it was a word Tony and Gibbs did not want to hear.

Gibbs watched as the agent all but passed out from nervousness. "Can you handle this?"

"Yeah, uh I think, maybe," he stutters but remembers why he's doing this, who he's doing this for. "Yes."

"You sure?"

"Yeah boss, I'm sure," McGee says

"Then go," Gibbs says putting his head set on and patting McGee on the back pushing him slightly towards the door. McGee looks back and nods before pushing the door open.

"You really think he can do it?" Tony asks stiffling a laugh at McGee's weird head nod.

Gibbs just looks at the lap top as McGee approaches the front desk saying his Alias name and requesting to see Director David. "Do you think he can?"

"McGeek? He's a computer geek who went to MIT and is Abby's helper," Tony watches as McGee tell the receptionist that it is vitally important that he speak to the director. McGee may have been all that when he first started working at NCIS, a probie. But now, now he was a field agent and a damn good one at that. "Yeah I think he can do it."

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"I really want to help her, Ducky," Abby says as she sits on Gibbs desk and Ducky in the chair while Hannah sleeps on the floor of Tony's desk.

"We are helping her, dear," Ducky reminds her. Sometimes a hug could be the best medicine, and chocolate never hurt either.

"I know, but I just wish I could do more," Abby tells him staring in sadness at the little girl who had been through so much at so young. How was it fair to make someone go through that no matter their age? To loose everything and to have nothing. It was terrible.

"As do I, Abigail. As do I," Ducky said sadly but knew that as of right now the best they could do for her was let the poor girl get some rest. If only they knew that the last she slept contently was years ago, before she could remember. Now she has dreams, the kind that haunt you and seemingly mock you. Hannah hated to sleep.

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McGee/McGregory glanced around as he was lead down a hall. Searching for some sign, any sign, of Ziva. No one really knew what they intended to accomplish by sending Tim in there but they just hoped there would be some clue. Tony had gone to look around back of the building and Gibbs stayed in the truck to watch McGee's actions. McGee cleared his throat and Gibbs looked toward the screen looking for the sign of Ziva. Clearing his throat was to be a signal meaning he thought he saw something Ziva related but as Gibbs stared at the screen he saw nothing but a few doors and desks and the back of a man's head. Maybe throat clearing wasn't a good pick since McGee has a tendency to do that when he's nervous.

Gibbs laughed slightly as he watched the junior field agent's point of view go from everything else in the room to the Israeli woman who walked by, her hips thrusting from side to side and her hair floating out behind her. "Keep focused, McGee or should I start calling you Tony?" Gibbs asks but is surprised when McGee rearranges his glasses, the signal that he had seen Ziva. "Ask to use the head," Gibbs directs hoping that the restroom was back where Ziva was going and that she might be able to recognize McGee's disguise. Maybe they did too good on it.

"Um, excuse me but where can I use the men's room?" a very nervous and unsure McGee questions.

"Confidence, McGee. They sense fear fifty miles away."

"It can not wait? I already told the director we were on our way to his office," the receptionist says. "There is one once we reach his office," she says and continues walking.

"No, I need to use the head now," McGee says demanding and the receptionist sighs and begins to walk towards the direction of the lower floor rest room.

"I'll have DiNozzo distract her. You follow her until she needs to go back to the front desk then go find Ziva," Gibbs instructs and then quickly fills Tony in on the plans.

McGee continues walking trying to go slow since they were about to pass Ziva. Suddenly the security alarm begins to chirp and the receptionist takes off towards the front desk. "Ziva!" McGee whisper yells and then walks faster to catch up to her.

"McGee?" Ziva questions and then pulls him into a supply closet.

"Uh, I um, Ziva..."McGee stutters. He had always wanted some woman to throw him in a closet, and then continue to rip his clothes off and well so on and so forth. So Ziva thrusting him into the closet definitely caused a lot of stammers and stutters.

"There are security cameras, McGee. I believe you have spent too much time with Tony if you are thinking of other things, yes?" she asks and McGee is so relieved to see her that he is only slightly embarrassed that Ziva basically read his mind and all the dirty thoughts contained within it.

"You're alive!" McGee suddenly exclaims and throws his arms around her.

"It is nice to see you too, Tim but we do not have much time so perhaps I should fill you in," Ziva suggests. She did not think she had ever been quite so relieved to see someone, never did she think they would fly to Israel to come rescue her. It made her feel as bad as it did good when she remembered what she had done to cause them to need to resort to this. "I have written everything down here in this letter I was going to somehow send to you," she says and hands him the letter with the address of NCIS headquarters on the envelope.

"But you're okay? They aren't hurting you or anything right?" McGee asks and Ziva smiles at the concern in his voice.

"I am fine for the moment. Do not worry," she tells him and McGee takes concern at the words "for the moment".

"You sure?" he asks and she nods and subtlety takes something else from her pocket and hands it to McGee. He looks at it and sees the name "Tony" written cleanly and clearly across the envelope he nods at her and she smiles pulling him into another hug.

"Thank you, Tim. Thank you and Gibbs and Tony," she says and McGee hates how she sounds as she speaks those words. Like they do in the movies when they're about to die or go fight a big battle. "I will seen you soon, yes?"

"Yeah, I hope," he says and she pats his arm nudging him towards the door.

"You will," she says and he smiles one last time before closing the door shutting her in the small and not very plea sent smelling room. "I just hope you will not hate me when you do."

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**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HANUKKAH! Sorry the chapter's so short but I've been crazy busy with all the Christmas stuff. Yesterday I was looking at all of my stuff on my profile and I saw that I have a hundred reviews so thank you all so much for that it really makes my day. I also want to thank everyone who told me that they would keep Caylee's family in prayer.**

**I hope you have a great holiday season and how about you leave me a little present like, perhaps a review. Thanks and Merry Christmas to everyone!**


	21. Chapter 21

After Gibbs' "good job" to McGee the rest of the ride back was completely silent. Even though it was only a five minute car ride back the silence still seemed to eat away at them. Questions were desperately awaiting answers and answers could not be found until they returned back to the motel and could read Ziva's letter. Neither Tony nor Gibbs knew that McGee had a letter addressed to Tony from Ziva and the way that Ziva had handed McGee the note he was pretty sure it was something she wanted for Tony and only Tony. If Gibbs really meant rule number 12 then he was pretty sure that neither Tony or Ziva would currently have a job. All he knew was that they had been leaving work together alot and apparently Ziva was taken from outside of Tony's apartment. Now McGee may not be a relationship specialist but he could pretty much figure out what these two had been up to, or at least he could assume, which Gibbs says to never do...Maybe he should not even try and figure it out. They were two very complex and confusing people and it was most likely better to let them figure it out before he tried to. Next thing he knew they were parked outside of the motel. Circular thinking seems to pass the time.

"She handed you a letter right?" Gibbs questions quietly. His usual growl gone, as if he has just woken up.

"Uh, yeah, I-I have it right here," McGee says a little caught off guard but shows him the letter he had been gripping since he left the building. Gibbs snatches it out of his hand and jumps out of the truck. He walks to his room and uses his key card without even looking back, looking only at the letter.

Tony stares after him in disbelief and seems to even be considering jumping up and going to knock on Gibbs' door repeatedly and loudly. As the anger on Tony's face begins to become appear ant and the senior field agent unbuckles his seat belt McGee decides that it would be a good idea to show him that he had his own letter.

"Ziva passed this to me too. It's, uh for you," McGee says and Tony stares at the letter knowing that it was most definitely from her by the large and beautiful way she had written his name on the front. He looks from McGee to the letter and back staring in the same disbelief he had when Gibbs had stalked off with the other letter. McGee sticks the note practically in Tony's hand before he finally takes it and finally seems to snap back to reality.

"Thanks, Probie," he says and goes to his own room, one he shared with McGee and opening and closing the door. McGee sat in the truck and debates on what to do next. He couldn't exactly go into his room since Tony not only took the key but would probably kill him if he interrupted him. He goes to take the keys out of the engine but decides against it and flips the radio on, leans back and relaxes.

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Gibbs slid his finger through the sealing of the envelope and pulls out two pages of neatly written words. Words that held answers, explanation, and truths. He attempts to read without his glasses but sees no point in holding the paper a foot away from his face when he could just use his glasses. After he slides them on he starts at the top where there is one word written out in pencil.

_Gibbs,_

_As I am sure you have figured out from the Israeli address, this is Ziva. At the moment I still am not sure how I will send this letter to you but if you are reading it then clearly I have figured some way out. The first thing that I need to tell you is that I am sorry. I know how you feel about apologies and I know that it makes what I have done and the mistakes that I have made no better, but I am still truly sorry. What I did, it was irresponsible and inexcusable. I have learned enough from working with NCIS that things such as these are to be discussed to you, not hidden. I trust that Tony has filled you in on what he knows which is honestly not much. I have recently, as of ten minutes ago, been informed on my father's intentions. On the terrorist attack, on how he plans to murder me, they are very much connected. He will execute both plans at once, I am the one who he wishes to use for the terrorist attack. The presidential dinner on the 16th, the one that I had been put on protection duty for the director, is where I am to set off a bomb of which will be strapped to my chest. I suppose you could say that he is taking out two men with one bullet, yes? I have told him that I will accept these duties, of course I do not actually plan to carry out what he wants but he...he knows who you are and can very, very easily kill you. I can still not trust that he will not do so before or after I have done as he asked but after I refused to be his suicide bomber he pulled out photos. Of you and Abby and Ducky, McGee and Tony, all of you with target marks around your heads, completely oblivious that your life could end so easily, so quickly. I could not decline what he was saying when it was all of your lives at stake, mine was one thing I do not care if I loose my life now or in a couple weeks but the five of you, I could not dare it if you all were to die because of me. There must be some way that we can stop this, stop him. We have done it before, yes? This feels eerily similar, a man who I, in the past, cared about but then ends up being a traitor, a commiter to treason, to their country, to their family, to me. Perhaps currently you do not trust me fully. After the information I with held I cannot blame you, had I pulled something such as that back in Mossad I would have been promptly punished, but you did not completely trust me the first time now did you, Gibbs? You had your doubts and worries; I saw it in your eyes. The same way I saw your confusion, anger, hurt and when you asked if I knew of your family, Kelly and Shannon the tragedy that happened to them, I saw the pain and sadness. I trust you, Gibbs. I trust that even though I have nailed up you do not hate me. You are not my father, you are nothing like him and for that reason I know that I can rely, trust and believe in you. I have no reason to doubt you even slightly, yet you have many reasons to doubt me. I should be able to contact you once I return to the states, whenever that may be, thank you. For everything._

_Ahavah,_

_Ziva_

Gibbs sighs as he sets the letter down. How could a father ask his own daughter carry out such sick and disturbing plans? She was right, they would figure it out and they would stop it. Together he would be stopped and somehow she would be saved. Too many of the ones he cared about had been killed, murdered, she could not be another.

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He held the envelope in his hand, running his finger over his name that she had beautifully printed. He had been waiting to hear from her, hoping she could contact him, praying that she was still alive. Relief flooded him when he heard McGee say her name and joy ran though him when he saw the letter being flashed in front of his face. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he opened the letter pulling it from the envelope and opening the page.

_Tony,_

_First of all I know how stupid it was for me to go for a run that morning. I never should have been so naive. You were right and I was wrong, now if you are finished relishing in the moment I have more I need to say to you. The details of what is going with me and my father have been supplied to Gibbs in another letter so you can just ask him about it; this letter is for me to explain some things, say the things that have been left unsaid for much too long. You and I, we are stubborn and strong-headed, outspoken and honest, hurt and broken. I have hidden so many secrets from you, none as serious as this but still many. Yet with all those secrets you are still the one I have opened up to the most, the one I am most comfortable around. I should have trusted you from the beginning with everything that was going but I did not and for that I apologize. I realize that it was in fact a mistake and I realized that even as I kept it from you but please understand. My father threatened to kill you if I told. I would not, could not, risk such a thing. You are my more than my partner, Tony. You are my best friend, my comfort, my security, I have come to need you over the past few years. I hate to admit it but it is true, the few months when we were separated were unbearably hard. I was alone. Do you remember that conversation we had shortly after Jenny's death? I told we are all alone and than nothing is inevitable. I was wrong. Those months in Israel I realized just how much I relied on seeing everyone, spending time with them, and, if it is concerning Abby hugging them. Since I have joined NCIS I have not been alone. Alone is when you have no one to turn, no one to seek shelter and safety in or if you are taking the definition from a dictionary it means, seperate; apart. I have not been alone in years and as long as I am with NCIS, with you, I never will be. The inevitable part I was wrong on also. The inevitable is unable to be avoided, evaded, or escaped; certain; necessary it was inevitable that this would happen, it was inevitable that...that I would fall in love with you. There is no denying or avoiding that, Tony. Whether I want to admit it or not, whether you feel the same or not, I could very well die and I know from experience that leaving things unsaid can eat you inside until it completely consumes you, so that is why I am telling you this. Please forgive me for my mistakes, I have made many. I know that, but I also know that you will never give up on me._

_Ani ohev otach,_

_Ziva_

Tony slowly lowers the note on to the table and blinks a few times as if to come back into focus. She loved him? She had said it, well wrote, that straight and clear. No beating around the bush, no masking it with a joke. Well that would have been something he would have done but Ziva has never been any better with the honesty of feelings than he had and yet she had just told him. Just like that, and now he knew, now more than ever, that they had to get her back because she could not leave something so important unsaid and neither could he.

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**Once again I apologize for the shortness of the chapter and the amount of time it took for me to post it. I am still insanely busy with everything but things should hopefully calm down soon. As for the chapter, it was okay I suppose but definitely not my best. Things should start getting slightly resolved in the next chapter, maybe. Have a good day :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Ziva had been sent to pack her things, not that she had that many things to pack. Since she was taken hostage and dragged out of the country so she did not exactly have time to pack, but she had bought a couple changes of clothes and a toothbrush while she was down there, just the essentials. She was being sent back to the states one week before the presidential dinner and was to ensure everyone at NCIS that things were fine and that she had to go away suddenly for a week but apologized for not calling. That way she would not lose her protection duties of Director Vance to someone else. Her father had told her that he was putting two wires on her that she was to wear at all times, one so that he could hear her and her conversations with others and another so he of a GPS tracker so could keep watch of where she was and what she was doing. If they were removed for any reason, other than showering and changing clothes of course, they would murder someone from the NCIS team, kill one of her friends. For the moment her father said that he would believe her on the fact that she did not tell Tony but anything that led them to believe she had and he would promptly executed as would anyone else who seemed to know of her mission.

Ziva was to be ready to leave in an hour and she would be flown back to the US and then drove to her apartment. A phone call to the director was to be made to explain her absence and she would return to work Monday, the day after tomorrow. Her father had left nothing to chance but Ziva knew that she would find a way to fix this, change the outcome. The bomb would not be going with her back to the states. Obviously it was going to be controlled by a switch from her father instead of one by her and there was to be some sort of alerter to let him know if someone was messing with the bomb's system. He was going to contact her the night before the dinner and they were to meet somewhere and he would strap the bomb on her along with a GPS fix on the bomb so there was no way she could ditch it in a dumpster or something.

Ziva was scared, terrified. As of right now her mind was drawing a blank on how she would get out of this one. Yes, she could right notes to communicate what she did not want her father to hear but that did have it's limits. To disarm the bomb without her father realizing would be impossible since it would be strapped onto her and then she was to go to the dinner. Her options were seemingly limited. Limited to the point of only two options, follow through or sacrifice herself hoping and praying that someone could stop her father before he found some other way to destroy his alliances and much more importantly America.

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It was official, Tony hated waiting. Not that no one knew that before, because they most definitely did, but now it was painfully obvious. They still did not know when Ziva would return to the states and it was now two days after their visit to Israel. Gibbs was thankful that there were no calls on Friday and that everyone got the weekend of because he could tell that no one could focus, not even him. Now, on Sunday, the team was trying their best to not be consumed by this whole ordeal, or at least pretend that they hadn't been. Abby was at church, Gibbs was working on his boat, McGee was writing a new book One that dealt with the disappearance of Lisa. Ducky was at home with his mother, Palmer was...well what does Palmer do when he's not at work? Tony was at home rereading Ziva's letters running through his mind on the different ways of how they could stop the bomb, stop the inevitable. Ziva had told Tony a very limited amount about her father but he knew that the man certainly knew how to cover his tracks and would not make it even slightly easy for them tochange anything.

They had not yet told Director Vance about the threat of a terrorist attack and they did not plan to until or if it became absolutely necessary. If the man would not believe them about Ziva's abduction from her father why would he believe them about the same man intending to blow up the president? Tony wondered just what he wanted to gain from all of this. Was he going to join sides with Hamas or Gaza? Had he already done so? The way Tony looked at it the man was setting himself up to lose a whole lot. His alliances with America, most likely quite a few people who worked for him, and his daughter. A lot of loss for minimal to no gain, it didn't make any sense. But it wasn't that important to Tony, he didn't care if Eli had a hundred excuses, there was no reason to be doing any of this, and it was as simple as that.

Tony had so many questions for Ziva, they all did. He was still feeling the after effects of relief when he realized that she was still there, still alive and well, well physically that is. He had feared so many things and although he had wanted to have faith that she was okay the more time he had to think the more he realized that it was just as easy for her to be dead as it was for her to be alive. Needless to say when he heard that McGee thoughts he had spotted Ziva he was mentally beating himself up for not insisting he be the one who was sent in there in place of being the back up/decoy. His thoughts were interrupted when his cell phone started buzzing alerting him of an incoming call. The name "Gibbs" flashes across his cell phone's screen. _No, not today. The last thing I need today is to deal with another dead marine._ Tony thinks before answering the call with a simple "Yeah."

"Vance spoke with Ziva," Gibbs says and Tony is immediately pulled from his melancholic state of mind, his thoughts now placed on Ziva.

"And?" Tony asks. He has a hundred and one questions but it seemed like it would be a lot easier to just let Gibbs tell him what happened how the conversation went.

"She told him that she had to go back to Israel to take care of some things and said she was sorry for not calling."

"But that's not what's going on?" Tony says as more of a question than a response.

"Ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs says. "Apparently she'll be at work Monday."

"Why would she do that?" Tony questions more to himself than to Gibbs.

"Her father could have been with her when she made the call."

"I didn't think of that..." Tony says and lets his mind wander. So she was in Washington? In her apartment? Why hadn't she called him or contacted him someway? Didn't she know that he wanted to talk to her, needed to talk to her? Did she think he was angry with her? Was he angry with her? Did she regret her confession in the letter? Did she mean what she wrote in the letter? Did she fear he didn't feel the same? Did she even want him to feel the same?

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks but gets no response. "DiNozzo?" Gibbs says again a little louder but when there is still no answer pulls the phone away from his ear to make sure the call hadn't been dropped. It hadn't of. "Hey!"

Startled from interruption of his series of rambling questions Tony nearly drops the phone but manages to catch before it falls to the floor. "Yeah, boss?" Tony asks to regain his composure.

"Go over to her apartment and do not mention anything about the terrorist attack or anything else you might say if her father was there," Gibbs says forcefully want to make sure that DiNozzo followed orders.

"What?" Tony questions confused on Gibbs' request, or more so demand.

"Did I stutter?"

"No. Sorry, boss," Tony replies."Why though?"

"The same reason why she told the director that she 'had to go out of town to deal with things' someone might be listening and saying anything about the terrorist attack or letting on to the fact that you know about it could get both you and Ziva killed."

"Right," Tony says and then it stays silent for a moment.

"Well, go," Gibbs tells him and then hangs up.

Tony smiles at the idea of going to see Ziva and eagerly grabs his car keys and a movie, just in case.

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"Follow the rules and no one will be harmed," Ziva's father says to her as they exit the small plane.

"Until Saturday," Ziva says disgusted with him now more than ever. She had recently been told that Michael would be going with her back to DC to keep an eye on her and to murder her if necessary. Although as of right now they wanted to avoid that or else the terrorist attack would have to be planned somewhat from the beginning again. Michael would be staying at a hotel not too far from her apartment or NCIS and would be keeping also tabs on her to make sure she did not try to fool them by messing with the GPS or hearing wire.

"Yes, until Saturday."

Ziva faces her father, glaring at him, trying to show all of her hatred and anger in that one look. "You are a monster," she tells him. Right now was one of the last times she would ever see him again and he was going to have her killed maybe watching her mouth would no be quite so important.

"I am sorry, bat," he says but Ziva does not see nor does she hear the slightest bit of sadness or sincerity in his apology.

"No," Ziva wanting to say a few more words to him. Words that might just possibly hurt him, hurt this cold hard stone of a person. "You are not sorry and you never have been. You destroyed Ari's life and you took Tali's!" Ziva says lowering her voice as though it would make the words less painful or maybe it was to make them more. Her voice was a hiss practically, venom pouring out of each word she spoke. "And now you are forcing me to carry out your evil plans. You are a despicable man, one who deserves to die, yet you have murdered everyone in your family and you are the one left standing. Funny how that has worked out, yes? If anyone should rot in hell it should be you," Ziva stares him down, but he does not cower he is not even unfazed. Not even the hurtful words she had just spoken could cause him to feel him the smallest amount of remorse. Maybe this is why she hated him so much, not only for all the things she had just said or all the lives she has destroyed, but because that he does not care what he has done, the damage he has caused. He cares only of himself. "I despise you," Ziva says, the final words before he turns and gets back on the jet and before she is grabbed roughly by the arm and dragged over to a black Prius, the same she arrived in.

A week had passed, only a week, an entire week. She was back where she was taken from, she was a now a stranger. She would return to work on Monday, yet nothing would be the same, nothing could be the same. One week had changed everything and in one more she would not be here.

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**I was going to have Tony come to Ziva's apartment in this chapter but thought I'd save it for the next one. I hope the chapter was okay, like I said things are starting to progress some of course who knows where they'll go? Well why don't you review and maybe you'll find out.**

**Happy New Year! Here's to hoping that 2009 is filled with fun, blessings, and happiness! **


	23. Chapter 23

Ziva's apartment seemed foreign to her plus quite a few of her things were still at Tony's. She found that some things had been moved since the last time she had been here but that was most likely because, as she was sure they did, Tony, McGee and Gibbs probably moved stuff around when they came here searching for her or a clue as to where she may be. Michael was in a hotel only a couple miles from her apartment and she knew that wherever she went he would be close behind, watching her every move, observing her every action. It disgusted her or, more accurately, _he_ disgusted her.

Ziva's mind was still reeling with questions. She knew exactly how her father was doing this, but she still didn't know why. She wanted to know his reason and to hear an explanation. It wouldn't change the outcome nor would her feelings towards him and his actions shift, but a reason, logical or not, might answer some of the questions. Her thoughts seemed to be on repeat, like when the same part of a song just keeps running through your head because you only know that small portion of the song. The same questions were asked and then they would just start again. Because she had no answers, no next part of the song, and she had no one to supply them to her.

A nap sounded good right about now but she was hungry. Perhaps she could make herself something to eat. She enjoyed cooking; it calmed her and when she made certain dishes if she closed her eyes and just breathed in the scent she could be brought back to when she was young. It felt like a time warp back to a time where she would run into the kitchen, as a young girl, and find her mother cooking. The feeling was familiar and it would give her an ease of mind. Yes, Ziva decided, she would cook tonight. One of her mother's favorite recipes, Kusneyeya Rice, very fragrant and very delicious. Obviously she didn't just have garlic and spring onions lying around so she would need to go to the grocery store. Quickly she scribbled down the ingredients and went to get her keys. Just as she was slipping her arms into her coat a loud rapping sound came from the other side of her door. She turned the knob and pulled the door back coming face to face with her partner. The one who she had been wanting, no needing, to see for a week. Seven long days of feeling alone, feeling empty. She whispered his name saying it as she exhaled so it mixed with her breath. For a moment she was completely lost as of what to say or what to do. Her mind and heart were sending conflicting messages. Her mind telling her to send him away and to put up her guard, her heart saying to invite him in and talk to him, about everything that had happened, everything she had told him. But as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other she felt the small GPS tracker that was in her shoe. She knew what she had to do, how she had to protect him.

"Were you gonna tell me you were back in town?" Tony asked laughing a little. Though he didn't know why he was laughing.

"I would see you at work on Monday, yes?" Ziva replied. She didn't want to shut him out, but for the moment she would have to. If he said something to lead on to the fact that he knew about her father's intentions...Ziva did not even want to think of the consequences.

Tony looked at her strangely but remembered what Gibbs had told him about the fact that someone may be able to hear, or even see, her. "Yeah, you would," he said and she looks down at the floor before meeting him in the eye again. Her look was filled with desperation, sadness, fear. The same look she had a few weeks ago when she was hiding the truth of her father and all the other problems of that time. She had things to tell him but for some reason, right now, he couldn't ask. She didn't want him to and where as that usually didn't keep him from asking, in fact it made want to ask more, he felt it would be better to refrain. "You going out?" he asks as he sees her keys in hand and coat on.

"Yes, I need food," she tells him and, now more than ever, is thankful that he can almost always tell what she's thinking by staring into her eyes. If she allowed him that is, and sometimes even if she didn't.

"Wong's has some great new Kung-Pow Chicken and Pizza Hut has these really good new deep pan pizzas," Tony suggests and Ziva realizes that to him take-out is the only option there is when it comes to eating.

"I was actually going to cook. An old Jewish recipe my mother used to make."

"Why yes, I forgot that Ziva David knew how to cook," Tony says flashing her a smile. Only not his usual one, one more genuine.

"It has been a while since I last made this particular dish could you possibly be a judge for me?" Ziva asks and wishes that Gibbs had been here to head-slap her before she invited him to dinner. It wouldn't have been so bad if her father wasn't listening to every word or if her ex partner wasn't around the corner ready come barge in to her apartment and shoot everyone. Actually it would be wonderful if you removed those factors but she couldn't. So when you were to add it all up it was a very poor decision to invite him over.

"Well I don't know. Will I get more than the tiny portions the judges usually get?" Tony asked and she smiled at him. God she didn't realize just how much she missed him. Even though he was the one person she had longed for the most. With him right there standing in touching distance, kissing distance, she wanted release all of the sadness and fear she had; all of the pain she had felt through this whole experience, the one that still was yet to end. He was the one she had confided in, trusted her secrets to. She needed him next to her, not just wanted, she more than missed him while she was gone because without him she's alone.

"Only if you like it, which I am sure you will," she tells him and he smiles. Never had he been so happy to see one person in his life. When she was kidnapped, taken right outside of his apartment, he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again and as of right now he wasn't of exactly what would happen next. All he knew was that she was here. Right there in front of him and he was going to savor every moment of it, hold on to all her words and remember each touch. Whether he had sixty minutes with her or if he was fortunate enough to have sixty years he was going to make it all count.

"I love everything of yours," Tony said hinting his best at the words of "I love you" towards her. Ziva smiled at him, at his words, his honesty.

Ziva felt weak for letting her desires, her heart, be put above her common sense. The things she grew up learning and, up until a few years ago, only knew of that one way to live. Up until she met them all and they put so much effort in breaking her guard down. She still had a hard time comprehending why someone would take such an interest in her. Someone who cared enough to desperately try to break down the walls that were surrounding her. Someone who cared enough that they would stay no matter how much she tried to push them away. Ziva never knew that someone could care that much, at least not about her. No one had ever bothered to ask and she was glad, she liked her barriers, felt that they protected her. She could protect herself against being physically injured, but she needed those barriers to block out being emotionally hurt. As Tony worked so hard to break her barriers down she felt she was hurting both her and him by not letting him in and so she did. She let him in, and now as she stood there, his eyes penetrating to her deepest thoughts no words being necessary, she did not regret it. No matter the outcome.

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Hannah had been staying with Ducky at night and she had grown to trust the medical examiner and forensic scientist. The three of them had gathered at NCIS as Gibbs had requested of them and Ducky was hoping he would say that Hannah would be going back home. Not that he did not enjoy having her around the house and she loved the dogs and even his mother, but Ducky feared she was getting to accustomed to staying there. Both Ducky and Abby knew she would have to go home and it would be better for her if it was sooner rather than later.

The three stood there waiting. Hannah stood tall, head held high. She wasn't your average five year old, not even slightly intimidated by the people or the giant guns for that matter. Abby had grown to love the small, yet strong, little girl. She reminded her very much of Ziva and she even had Ziva's, and Ari's, deep brown eyes. Abby wasn't ready for her to go. Especially after some of the things Hannah had told her, about her mother and grandmother, about her life in Israel. It wasn't right. Abby remembered what it was like to be a child, half of the time she still acted like a child. Because being a kid was fun, laughing and playing games, dancing like no one is watching or finally learning to do the perfect cart wheel. Believing in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy, going trick or treating, dressing up in crazy costumes or playing jump rope and hopscotch. Abby loved being a kid and Hannah was being deprived of being one, of having fun.

Gibbs walked through the elevator doors already tired even though the day had just begun. The mixture of jet lag and trying to deal with a terrorist attack threat had kind of had its toll on him. Of course he knew that everything was not just a' OK with Ziva now perhaps she was in even more danger than she was before. Having to be a suicide bomber against your will for your father was probably enough danger for one person but Ziva could always manage to dig herself in deep. He remembered when she had been framed, back when Gibbs was "retired", and she had been put onto the most wanted list for all agencies with acronyms and then some. Obviously Ziva could take care of herself and did, most of the time. Everyone needs help though and he was glad that she eventually broke down and asked for it, glad that she finally realized that he was always there when she needed assistance. A lot of this could have been avoided had she come to him at the beginning of it all however what was done was and now they would just have to deal with what they were left with.

Gibbs approached Hannah and she stared up at him, her face stone set, her eyes determined. The kind of look that Gibbs admired, the kind he never expected to see on such a small child. He crouched down to her level noting how much better she looked then when they had found her. Her curly hair was now combed and pulled into two low pig tails, her clothes were clean and her face washed. She also didn't look quite so scrawny. Gibbs assumed that they had been feeding her well, probably the most scheduled meal times she had had her entire short life. "Can you go sit over there while I talk to Doctor Mallard and Abby?" Gibbs asked gesturing to the seat at Tony's desk. Hannah nodded her head and Abby gave her hand one more squeeze before dropping it and following Gibbs over to the other side of the room. "did she tell you anything about her mother and grandmother?" Gibbs asks and Ducky is the first one to respond.

"Ah yes, she mentioned their names but I told you of those when you were still in Israel."

"Yeah, Duck anything else?"

"No, but she does not seem very fond of them," Ducky tells him. In fact the doctor could make a rather accurate assumption that she was abused. "I could almost hear the fear in her voice whenever she would speak of them. I do not think they treated her properly."

"I checked her mother and grandma out and she's not related to them."

"Well obviously. If her father was Ari then her grandmother would have been dead before she was even born. Are you sure that the woman is not her mother?" Ducky questioned.

"I'm sure. If you ask the right people they'll tell you anything," Gibbs says remembering the two older women who he had found while checking out of the hotel. They said her mother was someone named Rachel Nuresh and was shot when Hannah was only a year old. Then, somehow she ended up with Ailish or Delilah or whatever she calls her. "Where she is now it's scuttle butt that she's being used for some covert operation."

"Like they're using her as bait? Abby asked hating just the sound of it.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Well then why was she brought here?"

"This might be where they need their bait," Gibbs says and turns to see the little girl only a few feet away from them, her big browns eyes filled with curiosity.

"Like they use for fishies?" are the words out of her mouth and Gibbs smiled remembering a related conversation he had with Kelly.

_She shrieked as Gibbs placed the worm close to her face. "Fish actually eat those?" she asks and intently watches as Gibbs hooks the fish's dinner on to his pole._

_"They don't just eat them, they like it too."_

_"But then we eat the fishes?" Kelly says as a question feeling suddenly guilty._

_"Yep, but they get to eat the bait first."_

_"Is that what you call the worms?"_

_"That's what we use the worms as. Anything can be bait. Even you," he says and she stares at him in shock._

_"You wouldn't actually feed me to the fish would you?" The innocence of her four years questions._

_"Well if I ran out of worms I might have to. So maybe you should go dig up some more," Gibbs teases her and watches as she crinkles her nose._

_"I think I'd rather have the fishies eat me," she tells him and he laughs._

_"Only you Kelly. Only you," Gibbs tells her._

"No," Gibbs tells her and her frown fades from her face. "They only use the bad stuff for bait. They wouldn't use you since you're so good."

"Savta says I am bad. She says I am tipesh," Hannah says sadly.

"Sometimes adults are wrong," Gibbs explains. "And I think that your savta is wrong."

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**Hmm I really don't like the apartment scene...Let me know what you think and maybe I'll rewrite it. I am leaving to go on vacation on Sunday so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update. I will most definitely have the time but I can't get internet access on my laptop down there so I don't know how I'll post. I will be gone for two weeks and hopefully will be able to update once before I leave and if I can't update when I'm down there I will as soon as I get home. Thanks to all my reviewers I really appreciate it! Have a good day/night :)**


	24. Chapter 24

One hour and a grocery cart full of garlic, brown rice and the rest of ingredients necessary for Kunsyaya Rice later. Tony and Ziva had made their way to the front of the checkout line. Ziva watched as the items scrolled by her on the conveyer belt and picked up a box of Twinkies and holding it mere centimeters from Ton's face.

"What are these?" she questions and Tony lowers the box so he could look at her.

"You're kidding right?" Tony asks incredulously.

"I do not commonly kid, Tony."

"How long have you lived in America?" he questions as though he is testing her.

"Over three years,"" she tells him and begins taking bags from the cashier and replacing them in the cart.

"And during that entire time in America you have never, not even once, have a creamed filled treat from Hostess?"

"I honestly do not see what is so surprising about that. I am not much for sugar anyways."

"Trust me, Zi," Tony says the nickname rolling naturally off of his tongue. "You'll like these," he tells her and then hands the box to the checkout girl. "We'll take these too."

Ziva rolls her eyes and tries to slide her credit card through the machine. Nothing happens so she tries again.

"Oh, sorry the machines broken I have to enter the number by hand,"she says and Ziva passes the card to the young cashier who slowly begins punching the number in. Ziva is then handed the piece of paper and a pen to write her signature. She scribbles her name on the paper and takes a flyer from the area where the bags are set. She flips the paper over using the opportunity to somewhat inform Tony. She hands the pen and the now signed paper back to the cashier and subtly hands the other paper to Tony. He looks at her questionably but opens it cautiously to see three words that were clearly written quickly.

_Mic. _

_GPS. _

_Followed._

He nodded to show his understanding and folded the note, placing it in his pocket. He smiles at the checkout girl and takes the bag with Twinkies from her telling her to "have a good day too," before she even has the chance to say the usual farewell to customers. He sprints for a moment to catch up to Ziva who was nearly out the door. "Whoa, freeze," Tony says and grabs her arm swinging her back next to him. She stops and gives him a look that could, most likely, make a dog drop dead.

"What, is Tom Cruiser here or something?" she questions and then Tony turns her ninety degrees so that instead of facing him she is facing a large lit up display of movies you could rent for a dollar.

"It's Tom Cruise and look," Tony says gesturing wildly to the movies.

"They are movies, yes? You can get them for a dollar. I see it every time I go to the grocery store," she tells him her voice bored and annoyed.

"I need to go grocery shopping then," Tony tells her and pulls a dollar bill from his pocket, his eyes scanning the display for a movie that he has not yet seen but actually wants to at the same time.

"You own most of these, Tony," Ziva says, making no move to hide her impatience. She was being followed and was supposed to blow herself and the president up in a week and Tony was worried about getting a good movie. It was actually humerus to her how after all that had happened and all that was still going on, the fear, the torture, things just returned to how they were before she was taken. The stress was left behind and worries were forgotten. He had a power over her, one of which she hated to admit. She would admit to fear and to sadness before she would admit to how much she needed him by her side. She hated herself for it and would constantly tell herself that she needed to stand on her own. She could not though, his smile and idiotic, yet very caring, loving and passionate ways made her so weak to him. The more she tried to block him out the more she ended up letting him in.

"Ziva? Hey Zi you still here? You know on earth," Tony asks since he'd asked her a question a couple minutes ago and was still yet to get an answer. He waved his hand in front of her face and she grabbed it locking it tightly behind his back and pinning him against the video dispenser. "Uncle! Uncle!" he yells wincing in pain.

"Oh, I am sorry Tony you caught me off guard," Ziva says realizing how stupid that was since he had been standing right next to her having a conversation.

"No I think I caught you very much on guard," he says his voice strained since she had not yet let go. "Release anytime. Preferably sooner than later."

"Oh, yes," she says and lets go of his arm and he rotates his shoulder around a few times, a pained expression written across his face. "You do not need to be such a drama queen."

"I think you mean drama king, Zee-vah," Tony says and she gives him a slight smile scanning him up and down.

"I know what I said. Are you finished yet?" she asks and Tony sends her a glare before depositing the dollar bill into the machine and selecting an action movie he had already seen in theaters but was more than willing to watch again.

"Haven't you ever heard that patience is a virtue?" he asks and Ziva furrows her eyebrows together giving him a confused look. "Never mind," he says and plops the movie in the cart as they walk out the door.

"Never has it taken me so long to get grocery's," Ziva says when she realizes just how much time they had spent in the store.

"My dad used to go to the store and spend more than an hour there but come home without the one thing he went to get," Tony tells and laughs a little. "Of course he was usually drunk when he went so that didn't help."

Ziva looks over at him sadly and gives him a sympathetic smile. "Perhaps that is why you can tolerate these," she says giving the Twinkies box a skeptical look.

"They are not just tolerated, they are favorted," Tony tells her and for the twentieth time this week she rolled her eyes and sat down in the driver's seat. "Must you insist on driving?" Tony asked self-debating with himself if he should go get a plastic bag from the back. After the first he had let her drive, well he made sure to be extra cautious.

"Yes, hence the term _insist_," she says and does not even let Tony finish buckling his seat belt before whipping out of the parking spot and pulling on to the main road without even looking both ways, or one way.

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"I can't believe they're using Hannah, Hannah of all people, as bait!" Abby exclaims. Her and McGee were sitting down in the lab. Abby slurping away on her favorite caffinated drink and McGee with one of his latte, extra-shot espresso double-foam mocha, peppermint, cheesecake, holiday special, coffee or something along the lines of that.

"You don't know that for sure, Abby," McGee reminds her. "Gibbs himself said that it was just a theory."

"Yes, Tim a theory that makes a lot of sense. Especially since no one else has come up with anything!" she says and stands up beginning a pace in her lab, the coveted caf-pow still being slurped.

"I can tell," Hannah said from the doorway. She had heard Abby and McGee talking. She wondered why they didn't just ask her why she was there.

"You know?" Abby asked and Hannah moved her head slowly up and down.

"You can learned lots of things if you listen careful," she tells Abby. Abby smiles and takes her hand leading her over to one of the stools and picks her up setting her on the chair.

"What did you learn Hannah?" Abby asks hoping that maybe they could get some answers.

"My Ima was talking to the man who brought me here and they were talking different. It not Hebrew I think French," she says.

"Do you know what they said though?" McGee asks.

"A little. My Ima told the man I couldn't go way, it would not go well. She said it was very important I did not go. The man said something about danger, that I had to go way," she tells them her eyes wide and innocent. "He said that Israel would get better if I went. Ima said that if I go I not come back to her." Hannah sat with a look of concentration on her face. She knew a lot of English but only a little French. The rest of what she could translate would offer them close to nothing "I can remember the rest in French. That is all," she tells them. Sounding ashamed of this fact.

"Can you tell us what it was?" McGee asks her and Abby gives him a surprised look.

"You speak French?"

"I took Introduction to French in high school," he tells her and Hannah stares between the pair.

"I think I can tell. First my Ima talked," she says and then tries her best to remember the conversation. Hannah slowly begins to pronounce the first word trying her best to use the French accent. The accent, along with the languages, had been taught to her. "Je nu suis pas."

McGee stares at her and then the words cycle through his mind and he says the words in English, "I do not care," McGee says and nods encouragingly for her to go on.

"Si elle vit ou meurt."

McGee stays silent, "Is this still your Ima talking?"

"Ken," she answers and McGee turns taking a sheet of paper and writing the words down and passing them to Abby.

_If she lives or dies._

"Si vous envoyer em Amérique, tout sera détruit."

_If you send her to America everything will be ruined._

"Je ne voulais pas lui en premier lieu."

_I did not want her in the first place._

"Je faisais une faveur pour vous, Eli."

_I was doing you a favor, Eli._

McGee looks at her but instead of speaking more French she looks at him. Her eyes were filled with worry and McGee feared that she had figured out what her own mother, to her anyways, had said about her. "Am I doing okay?" she asks instead and Abby gives her a geunine smile.

"Your doing great, Hannah."

Hannah smiles back and continues once again announcing it syllable by syllable. "Ari's girl a déjà occupé un trop grand nombre de choses."

_Ari's girl has already figured too many things out._

"Envoyer à l'Amérique et ses elle apprendre encore plus."

_Send her to America and she will learn even more._

"Vous ne connaissez pas ses capacités."

_You do not know her capabilities._

"Elle va déterminer ce que vous allez faire et elle va trouver un moyen de sortir, elle le dira. Nous avons ici de la tuer."

_She will figure out what you are going to do and she will find a way out, she will tell. We have to kill her here._

Abby and McGee exchange a look of concern and then both stare back at Hannah wondering if she knew what she was saying. Her expression is the same as before but the next they know her lower lip has begun to quiver and her eyes have filled with tears. She tries to get down from the stool but ends up falling, however makes no move to get up. Soon her hiccups of sobs are heard in the room and as Abby approaches her trying to pull her into a hug Hannah immediately swats her away. Abby's taken back by surprise at both the small girl's strength and the fact that she had shoved her away. Hannah's small frame shook violently and droplets of water continued to fall to the floor each one splattering across the cold tile. Watching Hannah, on her knees with her hair covering her face, was almost too much. It was not fair for this to have happened to her, she was so young and yet filled with so much pain and bitterness. A child should not know hatred, not towards others and not towards herself.

Gibbs walks in and his eyes go from McGee's worried and confused stare to Abby's hurt and sad look and then to Hannah. Suddenly she sprints up from the ground but with the tears impairing her vision she ends up running right into Gibbs. He lowers down to her level and she backs up her tear-stained heart breaking eyes staring back into his. Gibbs makes no move towards her just stares back into her eyes, as though he could communicate to the child. The sobs continued and the tears streamed out steadily from her face but her eyes stay trained on his. Then, just as suddenly as she had begun to run, she throws her arms around Gibbs and burys her face into his shirt. Gibbs gently wraps his arms around her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She begins to cry things out in Hebrew. Gibbs isn't sure if it is because it's her native language or so that they will not know what it is she is saying. The word "Ima" is spoken several times.

Abby hands him the paper and Gibbs' eyes quickly scan it and he then refocuses his attention on the sobbing girl. "No one. Will hurt you." Gibbs punctuates his each part as if making his point stronger. "I. Will not let them. You. Can not. Let them."

"She no love me," Hannah says. "My Ima no love me."

"I know someone who will love you very much once she gets to know you. You and I are going to make sure that she gets to know you," Gibbs says trying to calm the close to hysterical child. Slowly the loud sobs became quiet sniffles and Gibbs waits, for who knows how long, until the sniffles have also subsided before pulling her away and looking at her.

_"Don't leave daddy, please don't leave," Kelly cried as he held her close to him._

The words echoed through his head at the reminder of the similar conversation he had once had with Kelly. One also filled with tears and pain. "How about we get you something to drink?" Gibbs suggests and Hannah nods her head taking the sleeve of her shirt and wiping away the remainder of tears and snot. She takes Gibbs' hand and he leads her out of the lab she quickly turns back and hugs Abby, "sorry," she says and pulls away once again taken Gibbs' large hand in her own small one.

McGee and Abby just share a look and then Abby gives him a small smile before pulling up his favorite online game, except she had her own character. McGee brings up the same sight on a different computer and both give each other a defying look, "Go!" they yell at the same time and soon the room is filled with explosions and gun shots.

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**Okay well I hate the end of this but I really just wanted to finish it. Also I must apologize because remember all that writing I was going to do while on vacation? Well see there are these things called evil plot bunnies and they sort of attacked my good plot bunnies meaning that I now have two chapters to two different stories all written up. No worries though because my good plot bunnies have there AK57s locked and loaded for the next the evil plot bunnies show up. Long story short, the story will be completed. I will then have to somehow select one story to write next. Stupid plot bunnies. I hope the chapter was alright and I swear that some progression will be made in the storyline next chapter. In fact the entire story should be over in another 5-7 chapters.**

**Anyways please review and have a great weekend :)**


	25. Chapter 25

Tony shut the door to his apartment and sighed heavily. He and Ziva had had fun that night, it was the calmest he had felt since she had been taken, but both knew that the relaxation and comfort couldn't last forever. It was back to reality and in reality they had a lot of things to figure out, a lot of problems to solve. Tony set the plastic with left over Kunyesaya Rice on the counter and took out his cell calling Gibbs. He had made the mistake of not telling Gibbs once and had no intention to do so again. The phone rings a few times before Tony hears Gibbs' trademark phone greeting, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"It's me, boss," Tony says and even through the phone Gibbs can hear Tony's distraught tone. The exhaustion had to be catching up with him. After all he hadn't slept in a week, but Gibbs doubted that that would change until Ziva was safe.

"You got an update?"

"Yeah, it seems that daddy dearest is tracking her like an overprotective parent to a rebelliant teen. He's got a microphone on her and a GPS locator. Some creepy guy is following her, but the guy was slick. You never would have noticed unless you knew to watch," Tony tells Gibbs remembering just how good of a tracker this guy was. In the grocery store he would not always follow them down an aisle and did not even leave the store until they were out to the traffic light...Which Ziva drove through even though it was red. After that he only saw him for a split second and then not one time past that. Mossad trains well. Ziva had once told him that Mossad trains the best, and only the best.

"She tell you anything else?" Gibbs asks.

"Well actually she never _told_ me anything. Since she's wearing a microphone she has to be careful of what she says. She wrote the information on piece of paper and then handed it to me. The rest was just small talk. We watched a movie, did you know that they have them at the grocery store for a dollar, and a good selection-"

"DiNozzo," Gibbs says. Not in an angry tone but more of a "just shut up" tone.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Did she tell ya' anything else?" Gibbs asks again only now he knew that'd he get an actual answer this time instead of a ramble on movies. Which were the only rambles that come from Tony.

"No, Gibbs. Not anything that could help her out of this mess," Tony says a little sadly; the upbeat rambling side of him gone.

"Well then we need to help her out with what we have to go off of."

"How?" Tony asks. They had very little to work with. Her father wanted her to blow the president up and had the capability to kill her and anyone else who would stand in the way of accomplishing this goal. How were they supposed to help her with that bit of info?

"You said she had a GPS and Mic on her, right," Gibbs says as more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah and a creepy guy following her." Tony knew the guy from somewhere. Had seen him at some place or something but he couldn't quite put his finger on where exactly he had seen "creepy guy" before.

"Well Abby might be able to hack into that stuff or re-router or reboot or somethin' to it."

"Doesn't she need something else to go with it? Like a link or a URL. Wait that's the internet. Doesn't there need to be a buffer or connection of some sort?" Tony questions, his tech talk only slightly more developed than Gibbs.

"I don't know, DiNozzo!"

"Right. Sorry, boss," Tony says not even realizing his mistake with apologizing Gibbs until the familiar sentence was heard through the receiver of the cell phone.

"Don't apologize. It's a sign of weakness," Gibbs tells him. It had practically become an automatic response for him. You would think the rest of the team would have learned by now.

"Sorry, boss. I didn't-Damn it!" Tony yells. Angry at himself for slipping up again. He had to get some sleep before he completely lost his bearings but every time he layed down and would try to get some rest one thought would come to his mind, one person. Ziva.

"She'll be okay, Tony," Gibbs says. He could just sense the worry and fear coming from his agent. He cared deeply for Ziva, something Gibbs hated to admit. But it was impossible to ignore. Every look they shared, every time they would get closer than necessary, it was like a neon sign flashing the word "L-O-V-E" right to them. So Gibbs could only imagine what Tony must be going through. It caused him to have concern on Tony. Especially with all the memories of Shannon and Kelly that had been going through his mind lately. He always had them on his mind, but usually he could push it to the back. This week the reminders were flooding back though and he didn't have the energy to fight them and maybe he didn't want to. Gibbs liked to remember his family, although it was very hard the memories of them were so sweet. They were back during such times of joy and of love and of comfort. That is what his two agents had together, love and safety and Tony was in fear of loosing that forever.

"How can you know something like that, Gibbs? What is it another gut feeling? Because I don't think that that's going to be good enough for me this time."

"You want to know how I know, Tony?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Tony asked his agitation level at an all time high, yet Gibbs was surprisingly calm and patient with him. Normally he would have hung up on him or, if he was closer, smack on the back of the head. Right now though Gibbs was being strangely...Sympathetic.

"I know because you won't let anything happen to her. Will you?" Gibbs asks as a rhetorical question and then decides that maybe he should offer Tony a bit more. "I know you will because when she was in Israel you were powerless, but now that she is back and only five miles away from you, you wouldn't dare let anything happen to her. If I had been here when Shannon and Kelly were in danger I would have guarded them with my life and I know that since you have the opportunity to do so with Ziva, you will. Just make sure she doesn't find out that you're protecting her or your as good as dead, DiNozzo."

"Thanks, boss," Tony says surprised by the fact that Gibbs had opened up to him. And all the more determined to make sure nothing happened to Ziva.

"Yeah, well maybe now you'll stop bugging me so I can finish building this damn boat," Gibbs says. The nice tone now gone from his voice and now his usual grumpy self had returned.

"Will do, boss," Tony says but instead of hearing the sound of a dial tone he hears Gibbs sigh.

"You think you could handle a five year old girl for a few days?" Gibbs asks.

"You're kidding right, boss? Boss?" Tony says nervousness growing in his voice. Of all people to ask to watch a child he was not it. He didn't know a single thing about kids! Hell kids didn't even like him, not even a little.

"Ducky can't handle both her and his mother for much longer and the last time I left McGee in charge of protecting someone..." Gibbs stops letting DiNozzo fill in the rest.

"She could stay with you couldn't she?" Tony asks. Hannah was cute and he might be able to take care of her for an hour or a minute, but to have her staying with him for who knows how long. That he didn't think he could do. Tony already had so many things on his mind and taking care of a kid would take all of his focus. He was just told to protect Ziva how in the world could he do that when he had a five year old with him? He couldn't rush over to her apartment if she needed him or go get dollar movies at the grocery store for them to watch if he had a child to take care of. It didn't even make sense why Gibbs would turn to him for this.

"Yeah she could, DiNozzo but I'm asking you."

"I don't know if I could, boss," Tony said uncertainty in his voice.

"Well then you'll find out," Gibbs says and now, of course now, is when Tony is met with the distinct sound signaling that there was no longer anyone to talk to on the phone.

_Great DiNozzo, now you have to find out how to take care of a kid on top of everything else. Can't you just say a more firm "hell no" next time? _Tony lectures himself, now angry with both himself and Gibbs and he was pretty sure his entire brain was shutting down from the insufficient amount of sleep. He debates between two choices, go lie in bed trying desperately to actually sleep or make some coffee and look at the TV guide for a good movie. The latter option was the clear cut choice for him, but he'd have to make sure it was a movie he had already seen since his mind tended to wander while he watched them.

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Gibbs had called Abby and McGee to come into work early that day so he could see if it was possible to gain access to the wires Ziva's father had on her. Gibbs had never even left his desk last night, didn't go home to work on his boat, didn't sleep, which wasn't unusual. The mysteries just seemed to deepen, the plot thicken if you were in one of McGee's novel. It was one mystery as to why Director David wanted to do this, kill the president, ruin his relations with the Americans, kill his friend the Director of NCIS, Leon Vance. None of that made sense. Next Tony and McGee find a five year old girl who had been brought over from Israel but for what? To make someone else come out? To kill her? To confuse them? It sure was working. Now Ziva was back in America, supposed to pretend nothing happened and then go blow up the president. In six days. In six days Ziva was ordered to take the president's life, the director's life, along with a hundred other and her own. The purpose to it all...It was one thing Gibbs wanted to know the most and the one thing he couldn't care less about. He wanted the bastard dead, whatever his reasons or his motives. He wanted his daughter dead, he was a monster. Perhaps that is why Ari grew up as he did. Gibbs had lost Kate to Ari and he was not going to let anyone take Ziva from him too.

Abby stared at Gibbs with a concerned look on her face. He was staring dead straight ahead at nothing but air with so much concentration and anger on his face it scared her. He looked determined to do...something. The way he was staring made it look as though he had pure hatred for the filing cabinets and was preparing himself for a battle against them but Abby knew better. She walked over to Gibbs and took him by surprise when she gave him a hug.

"I didn't see you come in," he says his voice quiet and his eyes blood shot.

"I know. What was it you wanted me to check on?" Abby asks. The entire squad room was still dark, no lights were on and it was raining out and was only six in the morning so it was pretty dark.

"Ziva has a GPS and microphone on her. Could you back trace it or hack into them?" Gibbs asks his voice sounding rather disoriented.

"Do you have the GPS or microphone?" Abby questioned. After so many years you would have thought he would know on some level of what was and was not possible when it came to technology. Although he still had her "reboot" his cell phone so maybe very minimal improvement had been made.

"Couldn't you hack into Mossad?"

"That would be like hacking into the pentagon. It would takes years of planning, Gibbs. Years."

"You couldn't do anything else?" Gibbs asks and Abby almost wants to cry at how out of it he seems. The last time he had been like this had been when Kate...

"Ziva's okay, right?"

"She's gonna have to set off a bomb that she'll be wearing in six days because of her father but besides that she's fine!" Gibbs yells and automatically regrets it when he sees Abby's sad and concerned look. Worried for Ziva and for him. He was the strongest person she knew. It was like seeing your father breaking down and it wasn't a common occurrence for her to see.

"She will be okay, right?"

"I-I don't know." Gibbs had been able to reassure DiNozzo and for awhile himself, but once you added everything up and actually thought about it...How would they get out of this one? Going to the FBI or Homeland Security would do nothing. Who would even believe the fact that one of their closest allies was planning a terrorist attack? Keep your allies close and your enemies closer. It was a common saying, one of which made great sense. What was America to Israel now? Israel to America?

"She will be okay, right?" Abby asked again. As though he was a magic 8 ball that she could just keep asking the same questions until the answer she wanted appeared.

"I don't know anymore, Abby."

Tears build in her eyes as she pulls Gibbs into a hug. "Don't say that, Gibbs."

The hug brings him back into reality and he realizes just what he's said. "She'll be fine, Abs," he says hugging her back. McGee walks through the elevator doors to find the two hugging, tears in Abby's eyes, nothing in Gibbs'.

"Uh, is everything okay?" McGee asks immediately aware of the stupidity of that question. "Never mind," he says and Abby turns and gives him a hug next. "Ziva...Is she... I mean she isn't..."

"No, Tim...Not yet," Abby says as a few tears leak out.

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**Okay well I hope no one had been expecting anything great from this chapter because it really wasn't all that good. What I meant to write and what I did write...Two completely different things. I still hope it was okay though. Review please :)**


	26. Chapter 26

Ziva shows her ID to the gate keeper outside of NCIS and he flips the switch, granting her entrance to the building. She drives through swerving suddenly into the parking garage and scanning each space for an empty slot. She passes one but just puts the car in reverse and expertly turns into the spot. She takes the keys out of the ignition, the engine falls silent and the warm air that had previously kept her from onsetting frostbite stops. Ziva sighs her eyes scanning the parking garage checking to see if the one who followed her constantly was here. If her worst enemy was present. She finds no one, although it was not as though he could follow her into the building. Between all of the security and the fact that Michael was not stupid made Ziva sure that he would not enter the NCIS building. However he would, most likely, most definitely, be watching her. She was never alone, never safe. Not for a moment could she relax or let her guard down. Her storyline had to be more real than the truth to her and her responses, to every question and every word directed to her, had to be perfectly said. No slip ups, no mistakes. Or it could be the end, before they could stop it, prevent it, end it. She had to be perfect.

Finally she makes the decision to go in knowing that she could not stay out there forever. For one they would be expecting her and secondly it was fifteen degrees, not the kind of weather where you sit in your car and ponder on every thought. Ziva grabs her back pack from the passenger seat and slings it over one shoulder. She walks into the building once again showing her ID to the security guard and then removing her weapons into a few plastic bins before proceeding through the security gate. The guard gives her a strange look as she begins to strap all of her weapons back on. First holstering her gun, then her backup and next her knife. Finally she takes one more knife and places it on the leg opposite of her extra fire arm. The security guard still stares at her with one eyebrow raised, apparently trying to decide whether he should let her enter the federal office or not. "Newbie," she mutters while walking into the elevator. Ziva takes a breath and selects the office floor. Slowly the elevator begins to move each number passing by the farther up she goes. One. Two. Three. She flips the emergency brake just before the fourth and final floor is reached. She paces in a circle once before giving the door a good kick and a single hit with the heel of her hand. She lays her head against it and slowly slides down. She sighs and burys her head in her hands fighting the urge to kill. Kill what? She did not know but she was angry and she was sad. All of her sadness was being channeled into anger though, therefore anger all but consumed her.

Ziva had been desperately wanting to return to America the entire time she was in Israel but now that she was in America she wanted to go back to Israel. In Israel she could not harm one of her loved ones. In Israel it would not be her fault if an injury or death fell upon one of her partners. In Israel she was not a danger to her friends. The only people who cared about her. The ones who had been doing everything in their power to protect her. Now she was not only a danger to everyone in the entire country of America but also to the ones who had been protecting her and of whom she had also strived to protect. Why could her father not just kill her? Why did he have to take an entire country along with her. He was killing her for discovering his intentions and now he was using her to carry out his plans. She was a puppet to him. The perfect addition to complete his sick play. The one character that he needed in order to bring it all together. It was her own father that wanted her dead. Something she had come to terms with, something that had not taken as long as it should have to come to terms with. He had done nothing to protect his wife, her mother, and he destroyed Ari. He knew that Tali would be killed in that bombing yet he did nothing to stop that. Ari's mother was also killed from this man. He had taken each and everyone of his family members life. Executing them all, slowly but surely and now she was last. Perhaps she should have been expecting it, preparing for the inevitable.

She still wondered why she had said those things to Tony months ago when they had had that conversation. One of which they had been very open with each other. Just raw feelings and emotions, no barriers. She had once believed those words, but the more she thought about what she had said, deciphered their very meaning. That is when she realized that a few years ago they would have been some of the truest words in her life, but now, at this time of her life they were so very far from the truth. Maybe she had not yet let go of her past. Because those demons still haunted her today, one was watching her every move at this very moment, but she knew, for once one hundred percent without a single doubt in her mind, that she was not alone, that things were inevitable. Sometimes things were just...Meant to be. Like soulmates. Ziva remembered that conversation very well. What the African woman had told her and how Ziva had wholeheartedly believed her. That was until they were there, at her soulmates house, and out he walked with an entire family. His 'soulmate' forgotten. It was things such as these that made Ziva question everything. Once she had thought that she had found the answer to something there was another thing that happened contradicting her belief.

Was there such a thing as safety? All her life she did not believe so and then once she started to trust in security she was shown just how wrong she was.

Was there such a thing as freedom? America was known for such a thing but no matter where you may be in the world, in your life, there seemed to always be some sort of chain that would hold you at a certain length, allow you of certain things.

Was there such a thing as hate? Ziva had been raised to hate, had lived hate, and yet she was still not certain if it was true. If your most despised enemy was about to walk into oncoming traffic would you not stop him?

Was there such a thing as love? Ziva used to love. When she was younger and slightly, ever so slightly, more carefree. Then when she lost that tiny bit of childful innocence she lost her last belief in love. She did not feel it existed, between couples, between parents and children, between anyone. Love did not exist. Then she met Tony and that same child like innocence was still there in him. He was goofy and could have fun, but, when need be, could be serious and so...Real. She believed in love again once she had met him. All of them, in fact. Abby was willing to pull anyone at any moment into a hug if she felt they needed it, regardless her feelings towards them or if she even knew them. The first time Ziva had ever really seen McGee show a powerful love towards anyone was when his sister was suspected for murder. Ziva had never seen such love and commitment between family members. Jenny showed love in her smile. She was tough when need be and she was sincere with her emotions. Ducky was so polite and kind to every soul that may cross his path. He showed love through his words, hidden meanings of caring. Such as when he would use their full names or offer them to have tea with him or if he would tell them a story of his past. Gibbs loved them all very much. He may not admit it with words but with his actions. When he smacked them on the back of the head or risked his life to save one of theirs. Tony shows his love with every gesture he made. Just the smallest thing could be interrupted in so many ways, at least for her. But the one thing that made her so sure that there was love was when she saw it. With her own eyes. Whether it was being exchanged by other or happening to her. When she would see Gibbs give Abby a hug when she was freaked or have Ducky sit her down and talk to him. When Tony would give McGee a compliment, or at least something that was not an insult, or see Jenny and Gibbs exchange a look. Those things made her believe in love. That it was, in fact, real.

She had probably been in the elevator for about twenty minutes now thinking all these thoughts through. Perhaps she should have just done so in her car. She stands up and flips the switch to its usual position. The elevator has once again lit up and the movement is felt. She braces herself as the doors open and she immediately glances around the room to see who is there. McGee is the only one there and he looks up at her, smiling and holding his hand up in a wave. She smiles when she remembers their conversation in the closet, or more so when she remembers what McGee had looked like. A mustache was not for him, simple as that. She begins to make her way out of the elevator and over to McGee but turns when she sees Gibbs walking her way. She smiles at him as he comes to a stop in front of her. "Hello, Ziva," Gibbs says The tiniest bit of anger in his voice. Ziva should have known that he would not be happy with her. After all that had happened she really could not blame him.

"Hello, Gibbs."

"How was your trip?" he questions.

"It was fine. Much warmer in Israel than it is here," she tells him. Ziva had suddenly felt uneasy around Gibbs, the way she did with her father. Perhaps she did not actually believe that he would be angry with her. How could she expect him to forgive her after such things had happened though?

"Well next time could ya do the courtesy of letting me know before you up and leave. I was short one agent all week," Gibbs says and Ziva can not help but smile when it dawns on her that he was not angry with _her_. He was angry at the Ziva she was being for up and leaving town. Gibbs could certainly act.

"Ah, yes it was a bit of an impromptu trip. I apologize, Gibbs."

"Well it's good to have you back, Ziva," he tells her and briefly pulls her into his arms. "It's a lot harder to get any work done with only two agents."

"I am sure it is hard. I am glad that I am back," she tells him. Hidden words with hidden meanings, it was the most that could be done while this microphone was on her. "Anything I can do to help get caught up?"

"There's some paperwork on your desk. Maybe unlike DiNozzo you can actually do it," Gibbs says and walks away leaving her and McGee together.

"Hey, Ziva. Was your, um, trip good?" he asks. Kind of like a question of a question.

"Yes, Tim it was rather plea sent." _Aside from the handcuffs and being help against my will and having a strange man staring at me. Oh ad having guns pointed at me all day. Besides that very pleasent._ Ziva adds in her mind not caring that Tony would tell her to slit the sarcasm.

"Glad," he says and then decides it would be for the best to not say anything else. He didn't want to blow her cover or whatever you wanted to call it.

Ziva looks down at her desk and sees three letters placed on it. One from Gibbs, one from Abby, and one from Tony. She smiled, never had she received such great "paperwork". Just as she is about to open the first one the elevators doors slide open revealing the usual upbeat Anthony DiNozzo.

"Good morning boys and girls," he says and flashes a DiNozzo smile to each of them. McGee does not even look up from his desk and Ziva gives him a strange look.

"You are rather hipper."

"Chipper, Ziva. Chipper," he tells her and she rolls her eyes at him as he takes his seat at his desk.

"It is close to the same, yes?"

"Not even close," Tony says and smiles a bit more at her. It amazed him just how quickly the two of them just fell into such peace so easily.

"Does it matter that much?" she asks and just as Tony is about to respond yet another ding from the elevator is heard followed by a certain forensics scientist's excited voice.

"Ziva!" she exclaims and doesn't even give Ziva the opportunity to stand up before engulfing her in a hug.

"I was only gone a for a week Abby," Ziva says but happily returns the hug.

"Well a week is a long time."

"Yes, I suppose it is," Ziva says as Abby finally releases her death grip on Ziva."

"I missed you. It's not as much fun when you're the only girl around."

"Yes, Abby I have missed you too," Ziva tells her and looks down at the letters, her impatience getting the better of her. Abby smiles at her and walks over to McGee's desk and starts to talk to him about their online fight from the other day. One of which she beat him at, of course.

Ziva lifts the first letter but is once again interrupted by her cell phone ringing. She sighs taking the letters from her desk and placing them in her back pack. They would just have to wait until later. "Shalom," she says into her cell phone as she walked over to the corner of the staircase. A place that had become a common conversation place for the A team.

"Ah, Ziva. Good to see that you are wise enough to answer your phone."

"I am at work," she tells him in a sharp tone.

"I know I can see your location. I just thought I should remind you what is at stake if you reveal what is to be kept between us."

"It is hard to forget when you see everyone you care about with gun targets around their heads."

"Just remember, bat, a mistake will cost many lives not just your own."

"A mistake from me? No, these are your choices."

"Careful what you say, Ziva. I am not appreciating your tone." That was close to as much as Ziva could take. She opens her mouth to give him an earful of just what she thought when Gibbs came around the corner.

"Back to work, David," Gibbs tells her and she smiles thankfully at him.

"I am ever aware, Director David," and with that Ziva hits the call end button. A rather long minute and forty-eight seconds of her life. She walks back to her desk and sits down. Ziva sighs and lays her head in her hands. She wanted this to end. Enough for her was enough. This had been much more than enough.

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**A little shorter than I had anticipated but besides that I think I am actually fairly happy with the outcome of this chapter. Weird huh? Thank you all for the reviews and alerts and favorites that you have been sending me. I appreciate a lot. So review and tell me what you thought :)**


	27. Chapter 27

"Tony's gonna watch her until we figure this out so just bring her by his apartment tonight," Gibbs informs Ducky from his cellphone. Ducky had to stay home with Hannah since, for the moment, they were not sure if they wanted everyone back at Mossad to know they had found her.

"Does young Ziva know of her niece yet?" the doctor questions. Perhaps if Ziva knew she had even more to fight for then it would give her all the more inspiration to end this. Ziva was Hannah's last living relative, that was not trying to kill her that is. Hannah needed someone to care for her and Ducky believed that Ziva would be the perfect person to do so. The more time he spent with Hannah the more of Ziva he saw in her.

"Not yet, Duck. Until we can stop that damn microphone we can't tell her anything besides the weather forcast." Gibbs' frustration was growing already even though it had only been a few hours. They needed to be able to talk if they were going to sort this out. No more notes, no more hints towards what they actually wanted to say. They needed to be able to speak and conspire, all together. If they wanted to stop this communication was necessary, and they wanted to stop this.

"Do not make haste, Jethro. From what you have told me your decisions will bring great consequences. Turning the microphone completely off could cause death. For Ziva, Anthony, Timothy, You. Perhaps even Abigail. It would be wise to proceed cautiously."

"You think I'm taking this lightly, Doctor?" Gibbs asks a slight hint of irritance in his voice.

"I did not say anything among those lines, Jethro. You handle every case with great care and I know, for a fact, this one particularly. However your passion for the case and compassion for others can cause you to make rash choices without fully thinking the end result out. It may usually work out in your favor but there is more at stake than angering some lawyers in this case. Remember that."

Gibbs looks around the corner to see Ziva staring intently at the computer, her hands flying over the keyboard with ease. She pauses and raises her hand catching a paper ball that Tony had tossed over towards her desk. She smiles smugly at him as he stares at her dumdfoundly and does not even react when the paper ball, in turn, collides with his head. "I can't forget, Duck," he says but leaves the doctor no time to respond before closing the phone and ending the call. Gibbs hears the two agents laughter from the other side of the room and sighs. There was too much to loose for him to forget.

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McGee walks down to the lab, a Caf-Pow in hand for a certain forensic scientist. He peaks his head in but sees no one. Setting the Caf-Pow on her desk he makes his way into the room with her computer to find her in Abby's safety corner. That's what he had come to call it. Whenever she was feeling sad or worried she would grab Bert and wedge herself in between the cabinet and the wall.

"Abby?" McGee asks, concern laced in his voice.

"I can't figure out a way to help her," she says not even looking up at him.

"Abby, we'll figure something out."

"How do you know?" she asks her voice getting louder, finding it's strength.

"I just...It'll be fine, Abby," he says again doing the best he could to reassure her when he himself needed reassurance

"You don't know that, Tim! You didn't see Gibbs this morning, even he couldn't say that he knew how to fix this. Gibbs always knows how to fix things. If he doesn't know what to do then who does?" she asks standing up and staring McGee in the eyes, the hippo left behind on the floor.

"Abby, I just-we will," he tries to find words, tries to find a way to make sure there were no more doubts in her mind that this wouldn't be okay.

"See even you can't say it. Even you don't know," she tells him. "We have to help her, McGee," and with that pulls him into a hug his arms holding her just as close.

"We will." Abby was right, they had too.

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"What are you writing anyways? We haven't had a case in a week," he says even though it was technically untrue. They had had a case on a petty officer that had seemingly hung himself but handed it over to a different group of investigators at NCIS since it was right before they left to go to Israel.

"There is always something to be done, Tony. Perhaps you would know that if you did not spend so much time playing tennis."

Tony gives her a questionable look, "You mean tetris right?"

"The thing on your cell phone with the blocks," she says.

"Yeah, that'd be tetris. See tennis is when you take a racket and hit _tennis balls_. Tetris is when you match the same colored blocks to stay below the line," he points out. He could almost swear that her English deteriorated a little each time she went to Israel. Definitely too many trips had been taken to there this year.

Ziva rolled her eyes and then once again began typing. "Come on, come on!" Tony begins chanting to himself. Ziva slowly turns her head to look at him giving him her very well known 'death glare'.

"It's a, ah, rather competitive-" he stops, making a grimacing face as the sound that signified that you had lost the game was made. "-Game."

"Is it, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asks stopping in front of the senior field agent's desk.

"Well actually, boss..." Tony stops since he has nothing to say. He had been hoping he would just be cut off. "I'm just gonna put my phone away and do some work."

Gibbs says nothing but just walks over to his desk. It wasn't like he had anything to do though. He could sit there and stare at his keyboard as he had done that morning but frankly he would rather do something a little more productive. Instead he just turns around and makes his way to the elevator. He wasn't going to just sit around when people's lives were at stake. He was gonna do something.

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"Tell me you've got something, Abby," Gibbs says as he walks into the lab. A stone set expression of determination on his face.

"I think we might," Abby tells him a big smile plastered on her face.

"Boss, Abby and I were talking and we-"

"We think there's a way we might be able to hack into Ziva's wires!" Abby finishes for McGee. Her excitement and impatience getting the better of her.

"How?"

"Well the intergal part is that we can redirect where the GPS signals are coming from and then take it from there and rerouter the source back to where that is coming from. Since this whole thing is so much on the hush hush I'm pretty sure the director wouldn't be using the main Mossad connection and is probably using his own source. That way our IMCP protocol should be strong enough and if we can find the FTP or HTTP we just might be able to hack into the system," Abby says a proud smile on her face.

"Can we do all that without them knowing?" Gibbs asks a little unsure of just what "all that" was.

"We should be able to get into the system before he's alerted of the intrusion."

"And if we can't?"

Abby looks down, not really wanting to answer that question. "He might know."

"What will this give us?" Was it really worth it? was more like Gibbs' question but he thought that the one he chose was better.

"Not much, honestly. A location of where the source is coming from and we'll have the same eyes and ears that they do."

"Can we tweak stuff?"

"Well Gibbs, they would know if we did and-"

"Could we tweak what their "eyes and ears" see and hear?" Gibbs asks again, cutting Abby off.

"Yes, if there's anything to tweak with. We'll have complete access of the entire system, but changing stuff could alert him that we're there Gibbs," Abby says, her tone over taken with worry.

"Do you think you can break in without him knowing?" Gibbs questions once again. Knowing the odds of failure as well as success may help in the decision process. A decision that wouldn't be easy to make one way or another.

"That's the easy part, at worst if he does catch us and starts to retrace we can just shut the system down. Once we're in we're in. Even if we log out we can create a backdoor on his account which will grant us access whenever we want."

"Could you take audio tapes from before and switch them to what they're listening to now?"

"Well they aren't stored on tapes, Gibbs and if it's still stored in the system, yeah. We could change what they're hearing out of the microphone with anything else that's stored on the same hard drive."

"Go ahead," Gibbs says but for once his gut isn't telling him what to do. The fact that he did not know the right thing to do scared him. The unsureness of the situation made him rethink every thought he had. The fact that he had so much hesitance made him aware by just of what Ducky had told him. Hastiness could cost them their lives, cost hundreds their lives. "Hold off." And with that he was gone.

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"They call it football in Mexico, only Mexico," Tony says to Ziva. The two of them had gotten into a long, in depth, and confusing conversation over sports, their names, and their purpose.

"And why not in America?"

"Because in America football is...Well football."

"But you do not use your feet!" she exclaims just as Gibbs walks into the squadroom. Once again silently sitting down at his desk. He pulls out a piece of paper and begins writing a note on it.

"If you two are all done I need you to enter this into the system, David," Gibbs says placing the note down on her desk. She lifts it up, confused as to what Gibbs wanted her to do.

_Is your computer tapped?_

She looks at him and then shakes her head, giving an all clear. Tony and Ziva exchange a confused look as Gibbs messes around with his computer for a bit and after a few slaps to the monitor finally stops and begins to type. Tony sends a questioning look to Ziva who shrugs and she then sends the same look, getting the same response. After a few minutes a ding is heard and as Ziva sees that she has received an email. She pulls it up and begins to scan it's contents.

_Abby can hack into your father's control center. He could discover that we're intruding. We'd have access to everything on the system but it's dangerous. Is this a risk you're willing to take?_

Ziva stares at the words, the first bit of progress they had made in all of this. It was a step into danger but it was also a step to ending this all. It was a risk for all of them. Not just for her, not just for the team but for hundreds of people and all of those hundred of people's families. All of this was her choice. On one side it could get them one step closer to finally finishing this, on the other they could die and next time her father may go a route that leaves nothing to chance, no one to try and stop it. She knew what had to be done, had to be risked. If they were willing to risk their own lives shouldn't she? It was not concern for her life or what destruction may be cast upon her shoulders, but of those who she spent all her time with. Those of which cared about her. If any of them died because of her she would never forgive herself. Was that selfish? To put the worries of your loved ones before so many more people. She didn't know exactly what progression this may bring them or what disaster in the event that it did not go well. She knew her answer but that did not prevent her from debation. The choice was hard but it was obvious, what other choice did they have? She places her hands on the keys, hitting each one in seemingly slow motion. Then in the same slow movement she hits the send button. It was a decision that had been placed on her shoulders and now she just hoped that they would not regret it.

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**Okay guys I'm sorry. I know this chapter was a bit on the crappier side but right now I'm just glad I can make coherent sentences. I woke up today feeling absolutely terrible but I wanted to post anyways. Now I'm not so sure if that was the best decision because I honestly have a bit of hatred set towards this chapter. Hope I didn't disappoint you readers too much with it and I assure you the next chapter will be better!**


	28. Chapter 28

"I think we're ready," Abby says. The past few hours had spent with her and McGee preparing for the hacking of Eli David's system. Back ups were in place, an extra firewall had been set up and now the two computer experts were, as much as they could be, ready to try and break into a computer with unknown security and to head dive into unknown waters. They had doubled checked everything. Mistakes were rare for them but this op left no room for mistakes of any kind. Perfection was always their goal and right now perfection was necessary.

"You think?" Gibbs asks. He didn't want them almost sure, he wanted them to be positive.

Abby and McGee look at each other before staring back at Gibbs. "We're ready," McGee says.

"I've created a virtual world in case he discovers the intrusion. That will have him going all around the mull berry bush and we should be in before he manages to get through it."

"Will he find out that you're hacking in?"

"Depends," Abby tells him.

"On what?" Gibbs questions.

"If he expects us or not."

Gibbs nods and dumps the now empty coffee cup into the garbage can. "The first sign that something will go wrong and you tell me," Gibbs says in a low voice to her. His nervousness was increasing with every step closer they got to starting. It wasn't like him to be so cautious but they were risking a lot with what they were about to do. As it was he still wasn't sure if it was the right decision not to tell the director. The President's life was at stake along with hundreds of others. Maybe it would be best if they didn't handle it themselves this time. But even through all of the second guessing Gibbs knew that they were making the right decision, the necessary choice. It didn't make it any easier though.

"I will, Gibbs," Abby promises him and her and McGee give each other a defiant nod, just as they had the other day when they were playing online. McGee holds up one finger then another and then simultaneously they each press a key and soon their fingers are jumping all across the keyboards.

"I'm penetrating the firewall," McGee says and Gibbs stares not understanding the slightest bit from all the code that was flashing along the monitors.

"I'm breaking the incriptions," Abby says and Gibbs switches his vision to what she's doing. Numbers and letters that, to him, have no significance but is really Eli David's computer programming.

"Enabling the trojan...Now!" McGee yells and then jumps over to Abby's keyboard working with her as his computer finds the TCP to Eli's system.

"I think he found me!" Abby exclaims when the security breach warning comes flashing on the screen. "How much is left until the trojan is complete?"

"Um, I can start working on it now," McGee says and returns to his own computer.

"How much longer do you need?" Abby asks, not looking up from her computer for even a split second.

"His security is stronger than we thought," McGee says.

"So's his counter-hacking! He made it through the virtual world before I even thought he would be able to make a dent in it."

"Do we abort?" Gibbs asks. He may no very little about computers but he knew that what the two tech geeks were saying was not good.

"Not yet," Abby says defiantly. "McGee trade spots with me. You work on sending his computer on a different path and I'll try and hack his system." McGee doesn't question her demands but just does as she says.

"What's going on?" Gibbs questions as Abby and McGee hectically punch in keys, neither daring to loose their concentration.

"He's trying to back trace, boss."

"Is he succeeding?"

"I'm almost there McGee. I need another minute!" Abby exclaims. She was dead set on getting through and was not going to let someone beat her at her own game.

"I don't know if I can stop him, Abby."

"Do. We. Abort?" Gibbs asks again, more force than question in his voice this time around.

"I'm in!" Abby says excitedly. She joins McGee over at the other keyboard and together they erase their tracks leaving the opposing computer nothing to trace.

"And he's out," McGee says an accomplished smile on his face. Both turn to face Gibbs who stares back at them.

"Does he know we're there?" Gibbs asks. Wherever "there" is.

"No, he thinks that we shut the system down."

"He didn't retrack your signal thing?"

"Not as far as we know..." McGee says but quickly decides to change his answer when Abby punches him in the arm. "No, uh, he shouldn't have been able to."

"Good job then. Now what've we got?" he says and turns to the monitor not sure just what all the numbers and letters and diagrams mean.

"Come on, Gibbs. I'm fading, a caffeine buzz is necessary," Abby says her mind still reeling from their previous actions. She needed something to calm her.

"And we need to stop a bomb," Gibbs says but changes his mind when he sees her pleading face. "Just tell me what it is we have to work with and then you can get your Caf-Pow."

"We have his full system to mess around with so it depends on what he has stored on here to what we can do with it."

"Well what's on it?"

"These are her microphone operations," Abby says clicking on one link and then going back out to select another. "This here is her GPS. It looks like these are plans, dates and times and stuff. Um, her past actions and recordings. Whoa," Abby says and stops turning to look at Gibbs.

"What is it?" Gibbs asks and looks over her shoulder. Playing on the screen is a mock-up on how the bombing would go. Or at least how Eli wanted it to go. On the center of the screen was the president and Gibbs saw Director Vance amongst several other people who were placed randomosly around the room. Ziva was standing in the corner. The Vice-President, Head of the FBI and Homeland security were only a few of the many faces that they saw. In the one room there had to be at least a hundred people, all had faces and Gibbs was pretty sure that they were all people Eli knew or at least knew he wanted dead. Suddenly the entire screen shows an explosion and in the four seconds it took to debtinate all those mini computer people, and many more of which would not fit onto the screen, were dead.

"He must spent days making this," McGee says in shock of just how much detail had been put into the video. There were even caterers walking around with trays of crab puffs and cubed cheese.

"And now he's admiring his work," Abby says. "It says here that it has been playing on his computer screen for ten days, fourteen hours, twenty-six minutes, and thirty- one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four-"

"Abby," Gibbs says in an exasperated tone.

"Sorry."

"He's infatuated with this explosion, Gibbs," McGee says as the video starts up once again, it was on auto-play.

"No, McGee. The guy is more than just infatuated, he's obsessed."

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Abby and McGee were most likely going to be pulling an all-nighter at NCIS working on, as Gibbs had put it "Fixing the damn wires". Freedom was expected by morning and they had a plan on just how they were going to do it. Gibbs was going to call Ziva at 0600 and tell her to take the day off and he would call her if they got a case and needed her. Abby and McGee were assembling things that they could use to fill the audio in with. Book pages turning, the fridge and cupboards being opened and closed, The Sound of Music playing, Ziva snoring when she took a nap at 1614h hours, her cleaning her weapons, so on and so forth. Her GPS would say that she would be at her apartment all day and in the morning they were going to record her having a conversation with a telemarketer A.K.A. Abby to be put into place mid-afternoon. Details were important and they were making sure every track was covered. Rule number seven: Always be specific when you lie.

Gibbs was staying the night at NCIS as well and Ziva had gone home for another restless night. Tony, on the other hand, had a rather interesting night ahead of him. He was still not sure what Gibbs' reason for having Hannah stay with him. Ducky would still have her during the day while everyone else was at NCIS offices and yet Gibbs specifically chose him, Tony DiNozzo of all people, to watch the five year old girl at night. He pulled into Ducky's driveway and got out of the car. He knocked on the front hoping the Mrs. Mallard was asleep. He wasn't sure if his patience could handle the sweet but rather demented old lady tonight.

"Ah, Anthony," Ducky says when he sees the agent. "Hannah has been waiting for you." Ducky opens the door, inviting Tony in. "She is in the den. Her and mother were watching Jeopardy."

Tony follows Ducky into the den and sees why Ducky had said "were" Mrs. Mallard was asleep and snoring, just as loudly as Kate had once told him about. And he had thought she was exaggerating. Hannah sat quietly though, her focus set on the screen as some geeky guy answered a question about fossils. She turns back and looks at the two men standing in the doorway and gets up from her spot on the couch and walks over to them. Tony bends down to her level before speaking to her. It was something he had noticed Gibbs always did and when he asked him why Gibbs had told him it was to make them feel equal. The simple gesture eliminated intimidation and would make a child open up more. Having someone tower over you probably was intimidating. "Hi Hannah. I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. Do you remember me?" he questioned. It had been nearly two weeks since they had originally found.

"Yes. You and Agent McGee were putting chairs into your car. You smashed your finger, the scar is still on your finger," she tells him and sure enough when Tony looked at his hand there was still a marking from when Probie had pushed the chair into the car. The chair along with Tony's finger.

"You've got a good memory."

"Toh da," she says.

"This is Hannah's bag," Ducky says and lifts a purple backpack with red hearts covering it. "It isn't much. Just her pajamas and a change of clothes."

"Thanks, Ducky. I'll see you tomorrow," Tony says and stands up taking Hannah's bag.

"You have fun at Anthony's, Hannah."

"Yes, Ducky," she says and the doctor smiles at her. He is the one to now bend down to her level and extend his arms towards her.

"I will see you tomorrow."

Hannah pulls away from the hug offering the doctor a smile to show she was okay. Tony places a hand on her back leading her towards the front door. "Are you hungry? We could stop at McDonalds on the way back to my apartment," Tony says once they have gotten outside. He opens the door to the back seat of his car and she climbs in. He may not know much about kids but he knew they couldn't sit in the front seat.

"I already eat, Agent DiNozzo. Thank you though," she tells him, remembering her manners. Not only had she already eaten but she wasn't quite sure what McDonalds was. She sat quietly, looking out the window. America was much different from Israel. Things were not so scary here, everyone was so nice. Even the lady from the bank that she did not know who gave her candy for no reason! Things were very colorful here and snow covered the grass. She had never seen snow before and Hannah had decided that she liked it.

"You can call me Tony. Agent DiNozzo is to formal," he tells her. Another stranger thing about America, in Israel you called all of your elders by their professional names. She stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. Tony figured she was most likely tired. She had been having very long days and it was nearly nine at night, rather late for a five year old. He pulled into an empty parking spot outside of the apartment complex and put the car in park. He got out of the car taking Hannah's bag with him. The small girl followed behind him up to the steps before the door. "Careful here it's icy," Tony warns and let's her go in front of him. She takes one step up and was caught off guard at how slippery it was. Hannah flails her arms out in front of her trying to grab onto something before falling head first onto the sidewalk. "Easy," Tony says as he lifts her into his arms. Her breathing was heavy and her heartbeat quick. She was glad Israel did not have ice on the ground. "You'd think they'd do something about that," Tony says as he walks up the stairs, Hannah securely in his arms. He sets her down once they are inside and the two of them walk upstairs to the third floor where Tony's apartment was. "It's not much," Tony says, opening the door revealing his one bedroom apartment.

Hannah follows Tony into the apartment cautiously taking in her surroundings. He was not very neat but that was okay, neither was she if she did not have to be. He had a very large television and lots of movies. Ducky and her had watched a movie. Cinderella it was called, when he asked her if she liked she said that she didn't. Cinderella should have saved herself. It didn't make sense that she would wait there for someone to save her when she could have just left by herself. All those animals liked her a lot so they would have taken good care of her. Hannah would hate it if she grew up like Cinderella.

"You can take your coat off," Tony tells her and Hannah pulls the zipper down and slips the puffy pink coat off. She looked around, curious as to where she should put it when Tony comes over and offers to take it from her hand. "I'm gonna put on the chair with your bag, okay?" he asks and she nods. She liked that he asked her instead of just taking it. Hannah's eye catches on a photograph on the table next to the couch. It had a lot of people she knew. Abby and Ducky, Gibbs, McGee and Tony. There was another man next to Ducky who had glasses on and reminded her a little of a guy who had been on Jeopardy tonight. There was a red headed lady who she also did not know and then there was one more woman who stood next to Tony. She had curly hair just like Hannah. Tony sees where Hannah's eyes are directed and wonders if she had been informed that Ziva was her father's sister. "That's your aunt."

Hannah furrows her eyebrows together in confusion. "Like the bug?"

Tony smiles at her, "No um, she's your Aba's sister," he tells her. Unaware of the Hebrew word for sister.

Hannah's face still has an expression of confusion but she nods in understanding anyways. They mentioned her father a lot here. In Israel she was never to speak of her father. If she was she would be punished and her Ima was never hesitant to punish her. "You'll like her. She's a lot like you actually." Hannah nods her head again but instead of replying back walks over to the corner that had his very full DVD bookcase. "You like movies?" Tony questions. He was always willing to watch a movie. Once again the small girl's head moves up and down and her eyes scan over the shiny boxes. "I think that you'll like this one," Tony says and takes Mission Impossible from off of the shelf. "Why don't you go get in your PJs and we can watch it."

"PJs?" she questions.

"Ya know, PJs," Tony says as though it's totally obvious to every child in the world as to what PJs are. "Pajamas," he clarifies.

"They are called PJs?"

"Sometimes, yeah."

"Oh," she says and gets her back pack pulling out her penguin pajamas. Ducky had let her pick out what she wanted when they went shopping and that had been the only thing that was not pink or a night gown. She also took out her toothbrush and toothpaste and floss. Ducky had found a yummy flavor of floss so she liked to use it. While Hannah was getting in her pajamas and such Tony started a bag of popcorn in the microwave and poured her a glass of juice, himself soda. He puts the movie in and the previews start playing. He grabbed the blanket he had bought earlier that day. It had the Little Mermaid on it and Tony thought that Hannah may like it. Something to make the couch a bit nicer for her. She came out and sat down on the couch and watched as Tony carried out a giant bowl of popcorn and drinks. Hannah smiled as he sat down and handed her her cup and then started the movie. It hadn't even started and she was having fun. Hannah liked it when she could have fun.

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Two hours later Tony was surprised that Hannah was still awake, wide awake infact. Tony looks at the clock and saw that it was 2300. He'd better get her to bed. "I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too," Tony tells her and she nods her head and lays down on the couch. Tony covers her with the blanket and can already see the effects of exhaustion playing out on her face. He switches the light off along with the TV. "Goodnight Hannah," Tony says.

"Lailah tov, Tony," she says in a drowsy voice. Tony smiles, maybe kids weren't so scary after all. Tony lays down in bed and closes his eyes. It would not take long to fall asleep tonight, he was as tired as Hannah. In only mere minutes he has dosed off but was awoken not long after when he feels a slight shift in the weight of the bed. He turns over to see Hannah's small body curled up on the very edge of the bed. She seems to be shaking, it couldn't be that cold in the apartment could it? "Hannah?" Tony asks and sits up. She looks up at him and throws her arms around him, "Mitzta'eret," she mutters and Tony recognizes it as the Hebrew word for "sorry". Caught off guard and confused Tony can't think of anything to say. She was fine when he had left her right? What happened? Did he upset her? Ducky had mentioned that she had had a few moments such as these but had been fine at his house. Maybe he should take her back there. "Do you want to go back to Ducky's, Hannah?"

"No," she says and buries her head deeper into his shirt. All these people being nice made her weak. Ima and Savta would not approve at all.

"Okay, go back to sleep Hannah," Tony says but just let's the little girl continue to cling to him. She seemed so sad and from what Ducky had told him this sounded very similar to what had happened before at NCIS. What could she have possibly of gone through to make her so sad? Eventually he hears her even breathing signifying that she had been pulled back into sleep. Tony stills hold onto her though, he liked the warmth he felt from her and the way she just made his heart melt. Tony got it now. This is why Gibbs was having Hannah stay with him. She needed some comfort as much as Tony had needed it through the past couple weeks. Maybe they could each give a little of that to the other.

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**So sorry that it's taken me so long to update! I was going to update Saturday but ended up writing something else. Those darn plot bunnies again. Anyways the chapter's a little longer than usual to help make up for it though. I'm not sure about how I feel about this chapter but hopefully it was okay. Please review and tell me what you thought! Have a good day :)**


	29. Chapter 29

Tony groaned as a buzzing noise woke him. He reached over to his nightstand and felt around for a minute before his hand fell on the cell phone. "DiNozzo," he grunts but receives no response. The buzzing continues, making him jump since it was next to his face. He pulls it away and his mind registers that it's the alarm he had set the night before. He pushes a few buttons until the annoying vibration stops and then tosses the phone across the room. He's satisfied when he hears it clunk to the floor after hitting the closet door. He opens his eyes and glances at the clock, almost 0700h hours and he still had to get himself and Hannah ready. "Ah, sh-" he starts to say but when he looks over and see Hannah's body stirring he just extends the 'sh' sound while trying to think of another word to replace his previous choice. Hannah settles back down and a steady snore starts again. Tony lets her rest as he gets up to shower. He was going to be late, again. Hannah had to be dropped off at Ducky's and then Tony was supposed to swing by and pick up Ziva. After this had all begun to work out Ziva had emailed Gibbs and reminded him of Michael, the man that was following her every move. Another plan was easily constructed, after all it was just one more small obstacle. A certain blond maid (actually an NCIS agent who was willing to go along even though they had not filled her in) would be sent as a distraction to Michael's hotel room. Giving Ziva enough time to slip out and into Tony's car. Any sign of Michael going to Ziva's house and the shower audio would be played which would, hopefully, supply them enough to get her back to her apartment and through the bathroom window. Complicated but compared to the lengths they were going to in order to pull this off it seemed rather simple. "Hannah," Tony says twenty minutes later once he was showered and dressed, but the small girl registers nothing. "Hey Hannah you need to get up."

"Do not make me go to Savta," she says in a sleepy voice, in a pleading voice.

"You're gonna go to Ducky's. Okay?" She says nothing but just snuggles herself deeper into the covers. "Hannah, come on you need to get up," Tony continues to encourage her to wake up.

"Lailah tov."

"Boker tov?" Tony says as more of a question. He had either said good morning or good breakfast. Hebrew was a hard language to learn. Tony should know, he had been studying a few terms for a while now. "Damn it," he says when he sees how late he's going to be. Of all days at that. Tony just picks her up and grabs her back pack, rushing out to his car. "Last time I ever let a five year old stay up till eleven at night," he props her up, at which she finally opens her eyes, and buckles her in. He speeds towards Ducky's in a way that proved he had been riding with Ziva a bit too often. He pulled into Ducky's circular drive way and put the car in park not bothering to turn off the engine. The snoring signaled that Hannah had once again drifted into sleep so Tony takes the girl into his arms again. Using his elbow Tony presses the button to ring the bell and waits impatiently for Ducky to answer. The door opens slowly and to Tony's dismay he sees Ducky's mother standing there with a murderous look on her face.

"That is not my dog," she tells Tony and goes to shut the door.

"Wait, Mrs. Mallard! I'm here to see your son, Donald," Tony says and she reopens the door a little.

"He does not want any girl scout cookies!" she proclaims loudly. As though she was declaring some great event.

"I'm not selling cookies, Mrs. Mallard!"

"How do you know my name? Are you a gigolo?"

Tony sighs. He did not have time for this today. "Ducky!" he yells and trys to step into the house.

"You're Italian!" she yells in great excitement.

"I apologize, Anthony. Mother still answers the door even though I continue to instruct her not to," Ducky tells Tony.

"Donald, have you finished your homework?"

"I have not had homework in decades, Mother!" Ducky yells even though the woman was right next to him. "Her alzheimer's has worsened I'm afraid. As well as her hearing"

"Seems the same to me," Tony says recalling five years back when he been put on protection duty for the demented old woman. He smiled at the memory of her telling Kate to show her underwear. "If you don't mind, Duck."

"Oh, of course Anthony," Ducky says and opens the door wider allowing Tony to enter. "I see that you two were up late last night," Ducky observes as Tony carries the now half awake girl inside.

"Yeah, we had a bit too much fun," Tony says and lowers her onto the couch, propping her head up with a pillow.

"No such thing when you are young. I remember as a child that I would-" Ducky begins but Tony hands him Hannah's back pack and then begins to speak, cutting the doctor off.

"I'll see you tonight, Ducky," Tony says and starts to walk towards the door.

"Tony?" Hannah asks, now sitting up but still not fully awake.

"I have to go to work, okay?" Tony asks her and watches as her face visibly fall. He walks over to her and bends down to her level.

"You do not want me neither."

"I'll be back tonight and you can stay the night at my place again, but right now you need to stay with Ducky," Tony tells her using a gentle tone. "I'll be back tonight, Hannah."

"Ha'omnam'?" she asks and Tony recognizes the word to mean 'promise'.

"Ha'omnam'," he says imitating the word the best he could.

Hannah reaches out and places her arms around his neck, "Shalom."

"I'll see you tonight," Tony tells her and she retracts her arms from his neck. Tony leaves and jumps back into his car, setting off for Ziva's. She'll kill him for being late. Hopefully she'll understand when he tells her that Hannah had...Ziva still didn't know about Hannah did she? It seemed strange to Tony since all the others had known of Hannah for a couple of weeks now but Ziva was still unaware that she had a niece. Maybe that could distract so she wouldn't start naming all the things she could use to kill him with in the car. Tony hated it when she did that. Tony parallel parks and waits for Gibbs to give the blond chick the signal and then for him to give Ziva the signal. He waits for a few minutes until he sees Ziva walk out. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and she was wearing a pair of sunglasses along with a dark coat. "Trust me, Zi," Tony says as Ziva sits down in the car. "He isn't going to be paying any attention to you."

"You are late," she tells him simply not bothering to reply to his previous comment. She takes off her sunglasses finding them unnecessary in the cloudy weather.

"Yeah I had a bit of a delay this morning," Tony says and pulls out of the parking spot.

"We have missed a valuable twenty minutes because you had a delay," she says as a comment even though it should have been a question.

"Your first moments of freedom in days, and you use them criticizing me?"

"Yes," Ziva replies a hint of teasing in her voice.

"How's it feel?" Tony asks and stops at the red light, turning to face her. "Not having to worry about your father listening and everything."

"Temporary," she says, meeting him dead straight in the eye.

"You scared?" he asks using the moment when her guard was down to try and get her to open up. Instead of a response she turns back and stares straight ahead, however his eyes never leave her.

"I suggest you go," she says and Tony looks over to see that the light has changed to green. She lifts her sunglasses and replaces them on her face. Today she did not want him to read her and now that he had become so skilled in doing so, and she had become so sloppy in allowing him, it took more than Mossad training to hide her emotions. Tony glances back at her once more before slamming his foot down on the gas and making an abrupt left turn. The car remains silent for the few minutes that it takes in order to get to NCIS headquarters. Before Tony has even put the car in park Ziva has grabbed her bag and opened the door.

"Whoa hoa hoa. Where do you think you're going, Zee-vah?" Tony questions drawing her name out just to annoy her a bit. She does not say anything but just turns to face him, giving him a dirty look. Even though she was wearing sunglasses he knew what expression she was showing and she knew he knew.

"To work."

"What you gonna be all pissed off and bitchy at me because I asked you a question that you're too intimidated to answer?" Tony asks, baiting her although he knew she wouldn't fall for it. Not that easily at least.

"I am not intimidated by you," she tells him and Tony can hear the anger in her voice.

"Not by me, by the question. You can't admit it, but you also can't lie. So what does Ziva David do? She threatens me and glares at me, a lot. You're avoiding the question, Ziva," Tony says to her. He says it in almost of a mocking tone. The kind that angers her all the more.

"You do the same, yes?"

"Sometimes. Maybe I do," he admits partially. Perhaps he was being a bit hypocritical to her.

She scoffs and shakes her head a little. "You have as much of a guard as I do except instead of just dealing with it you act like a child. Hide everything behind jokes and your stupid movies!" Ziva has now shifted from the even, angry toned voice to one of a much higher decibel.

"I open up more than you do!" Tony declares, loudly. They were now in a full out screaming match. The stress, anger and frustration of the past few weeks all being forced onto one another. The only person they had to release it onto was each other.

"You do?" she says but in a much more condescending tone than a normal question would have.

"Yeah, Ziva. I do," he tells her and lets himself calm down some before speaking again, or at least tries to. "Because you know what? I'm scared as hell."

Ziva stares at him for a moment before he sees a single tear come out from under the dark sunglasses. "So am I," she confesses, a moment of deja vu going through their minds.

"Now was that so hard?" Tony asks a hint of a grin on his face. She gets out of the car wordlessly and Tony hurriedly shuts off the engine to catch up to her. Both go through security and enter the elevator, selecting the floor for Abby's lab.

"Yes." Tony looks at her in surprise and confusion. What could be so hard about admitting to fear? She removes the sunglasses revealing her bloodshot eyes and turns to answer the question that had not even yet been asked. "It is a weakness, Tony."

"Ziva that's not-"

"In my world, Tony, it is a weakness that you must never let anyone know of. Not your enemies, and especially not your allies. In my world, fear, it is something that will kill you." The elevator doors open revealing the pathway to Abby's lab. Their eyes stay connected for another minute before both turn and walk out.

"Ziva!" Abby yells when the two agents appear in the doorway. The forensic scientist runs and embraces Ziva, completely oblivious to the tension that existed between the partners. "I missed you!"

"Abby, I have already been back," Ziva reminds her praying for the girl to release her tight grasp that was beginning to cut off her oxygen supply. "We did this yesterday."

"Yeah, but that was Robot Ziva. This is you, Real Ziva, and I missed Real Ziva."

"I have missed you too, Abby," she says even though they had had close to the same conversation yesterday.

"Why," Gibbs starts, sending his Gibbs glare to both agents. "Are you two so late?"

"Sorry about that, boss," Tony says and Gibbs focuses his stare on the senior field agent waiting for a reason. "I ended up being a little late with dropping Hannah off."

Ziva's head quickly whips around and she clearly is shocked by his previous statement. Tony could not really be... He wouldn't, not at a time like this. Would he? She knew she was being ridiculous for writing that letter to him, revealing such things that were meant to be hidden, things that should not be told to anyone. Admitting her feelings to Anthony DiNozzo, she should have known it was a mistake. How could she have misread things so much? She thought that he had cared, not just that she may die but about her. She shook her head at the naivety she had fallen to. Tony liked meaningless sex. Not relationships with thoughts and feelings. He did not have the time to care about anyone besides himself. She was so stupid for making such an error in judgment. No wonder her father was so ashamed of her, she was ashamed of herself. Then Ziva finds herself giving a small, condescending laugh.

"Something funny, Zee-vah?" He really needed to stop saying her name like that or else she would very likely take her gun and...Well there really is only one purpose for a gun, yes?

"Just that you have managed to find a girlfriend while I am on death's list. Death's group? Death's..." Ziva searches for the correct idiom usage but can not think of it.

"Row?" McGee says as a question but decides he should shut up by the several glaring eyes being directed at him.

"Yes, thank you! I am on death's row and you are on a date. Typical Tony, yes?" Ziva wasn't sure why she would be dumb enough to be confronting him, and in the meantime basically admitting her feelings in front of everyone she works with and must see on a daily basis.

"So now you know what's typical of me and what's not? Is that you're saying?" he could just tell her that Hannah was her niece and that he was taking care of her until Ziva could do so herself. He could just tell her that he hadn't been on a date in months, because of one girl. The one that was standing in front of him and screaming at him for the second time that day. He could, but he didn't.

"I have been working with you for over three years, yes? I think I would know by don't you?"

"You've been in America for three years but you still are incapable of using American idioms correctly so I'd say you've still got more to learn, Officer David."

"I suppose I do still have things to learn," Ziva says her voice soft. Neither understood why they were so mad with one another. They really were not, they were mad at so many others and they just seemed like viable targets to one another. It was easy to just spill all your anger and hatred onto someone of which you love than it was to let those feelings be admitted onto someone that you hated, someone you did not trust. And that was exactly what they were doing with one another. Ziva turns and leaves, suddenly realizing the three others who had just witnessed her losing her composure. Not a common occurrence especially not on this particular subject. She was humiliated with herself, stupid Tony. She pushes the call button on the elevator. She did not know what shelter her desk would provide her but it must be better than sitting in a room where you could not cut the tension with a knife. She steps in and Gibbs runs through the doors just before they shut. Silence is the only thing exchanged between the two until a couple floors have passed and Gibbs flips the emergency brake switch. One day they really would break the elevator from doing this so often. "I am sorry Gibbs I-" she stops when she feels a hand collide with the back of her head. She smiles at the gesture, one of which Gibbs had not done to any of his agents since the team had been disbanded. Soon she feels the wetness on her face and next she knows she is sobbing. Gibbs stands and watches her as she has a much needed breakdown. The past few weeks had been so hard on the team but Gibbs could only imagine what Ziva has been, and still is, going through. Her father is trying to kill her, she had been ripped from the one place she has ever had security, memories were haunting her, and everything she had been running from had caught up to her. Engulfing her and taking over her life. A life that was being threatened and, at this moment, seemed like it was going to be taken. She was not able to handle it all on her own and that is exactly what she had been doing this whole time. Gibbs opens his arms and she gratefully collapses into them her sobs causing her body to shake. "Ari," she whispers and Gibbs' memory flashes back to when she had been in his hospital room, his arms sheltering her as she sobbed just as they were now. The name being said and memories of what had happened being relived.

"I know."

"How is this different? How am I different?" Ziva cries, begging for an answer. She had begun doubting her actions so much more ever since this had all begun. She wanted someone to tell her how she was different from her father. She had killed Ari and her father was trying to kill her. Ari was her brother, her assassin is her father. She is no better than him. He is no worse than her.

Gibbs doesn't say anything, not yet. Right now he would just let her cry and he would comfort her. Protect her like he wished he could have protected Kelly. She had become a daughter to him and it was a father's instinct to help his child, make the pain go away."You are, Ziver. You are." She continued to cry though, the comfort making her sob all the harder. He should not allow her to cry, then she would not be able to. But Gibbs did. He stood there with his arms tightly embracing her letting her feel safe and comforted for the first time in over a week.

"I do not know if I can handle much more of this, Gibbs," she confesses. All of these emotions and all of this torture, she wanted it to end finally. She would have much rather of had her father shoot her months ago than force her to go through this endless agony.

"There's this little girl and she's all alone," Gibbs says. "Her name is Hannah Haswari and she needs someone to love her. She needs you, Ziva," Gibbs tells her. The willingness to fight had to be there or else they would never end this. At least they would never be able to end it well.

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**Sorry for the long wait! My computer has been acting up a lot lately but I think I finally fixed it. I hope. Anyways I made this chapter a little longer to make up for it. I'm a little unsure of it, especially the end but hopefully it was okay. Review! It makes me smile :) Have a good day!**


	30. Chapter 30

Ari had a daughter? Why had he not told her? Who was her mother? Why was she alone? Was she born before or after Ari's death? How old was she? Did their father know? How had she come to the states? How did she come to the attention of NCIS? Where was she now? Ziva's head spun with endless questions on the thought of Ari having a child. Her and Gibbs had returned to Abby's lab and Ziva was stuck in her own mind, everything else around her was a blur. How could she not of known that Ari had a daughter? Had he known that he had a child? Ziva could see the concerned looks that everyone had been giving her, heard the rapid speaking of Abby and McGee who were most likely talking about things that she would not fully understand anyways. Gibbs had told her of Hannah and after Ziva fully absorbed what he had said she began asking him questions. Ones that he replied to with a flick of the emergency brake to set the elevator in motion. Tony said that he had dropped Hannah off, right? So Tony had had Hannah with him? Where had he taken her? Why had no one told her before now? In an email or a note or a smoke signal or Morse code for all Ziva cared! Could Ari of really had a daughter? It did not seem possible...

"Could you, Ziva?" Abby asked from her position in front of the plasma. She turns around to look at the Israeli to be met with a blank stare. "Ziva?" Abby says a little louder.

"Hey!" Gibbs yells loudly making Ziva jump from her train of thoughts back to reality. "Abby's gotta question," he tells her and quirks his head in Abby's direction which causes Ziva's eye to follow over there as well.

"The bomb, could you disable it?" Abby questions. The Mossad officer stares at her for a minute, her mind still not fully focused.

"No, my father told me that he has something to alert him if I were to do such a thing."

"Is that even possible?" McGee asks, sounding surprised at this fact.

"Well why don't we go try and see if we can get ourselves shot if you don't want to believe it," Tony retorts. His irritation level was at an all time high and his patience was at an all time low. It was the beginning of a really long day and he was already exhausted. All that had been going on in the past few weeks was really taking its toll on him. He just wanted this whole damn thing over.

"That's not what I...I-I didn't mean..."

"Give it up, Timmy," Abby says to him placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Where's the signal thingy coming from?" Gibbs asks and receives a questionable look from the two tech experts. "Ya know the thing that tells you where he's at."

"Right," Abby says with a hint of a smile and her fingers fly over the keyboard for a minute before she turns back to him. "Baltimore."

Both Tony and Ziva's heads turn in shock at Abby's statement, "He is in America?" Ziva asks with a surprised expression. "Check again."

"Ziva trust me I'm absolutely sure that he is-"

"Check it again," she says, louder with more demand and less suggestion.

"I'm not wrong he is, no doubt, in-"

"Run it again, Abs," Gibbs says. She gives him a weary look but turns back to her computer anyways pressing the keys a little slower but still quickly enough.

"As I said before he's in downtown Baltimore Maryland."

"He is not in Israel?" she asks more to herself than anyone else.

"Keep that up," Gibbs tells her pointing to the location marker on the computer screen and starts walking out the door. "And tell me if he moves anywhere! C'mon we've got work to do," Gibbs says and the three agents begin following behind.

"Hey," Abby says grabbing Tony's arm and turning him to face her. "It'll be okay," she says changing from being the one who needs reassurance to the one who does the reassuring. Tony says nothing to the gothic scientist just shakes his head. He was tired of this, the uncertainty, the unappealing possibilities, the unending worries and constant concern. It had all been going on for too long now, just continuing on from days to weeks to what was beginning to feel like months and even years. One day seemed like so much longer, even a minute could seem like an hour.

"Yeah," he says and follows the same pathway his team members had taken moments before. He storms into the elevator and then back out a minute later when he reaches the squad room.

"-Access the files and then replace them with the fragmented parts of the other hard drive," Tony hears when he walks in, catching the tail-end of what he was sure was a confusing McGeek ramble.

"Here's an idea!" he yells and walks over to his desk and opens the drawer. "We can use these handy things and put a bullet through the everyone's favorite Mossad deputy director's head!" Tony exclaims waving his gun around in the air like a maniac. "Why are we all sitting around here talking about plans and secret ops when all we need to do is put a nine millimeter slug through his head! Done and over with!"

"You done, Tony?" Gibbs asks approaching his senior field agent.

"No. I'm done when he's dead."

"Or when you are," Gibbs says and then a bit of reality seems to cross Tony's face.

"It has to be one of us," he replies, holding onto the feeling of momentum and continuing to thrive off of the power of impulse. He was tired of sulking and thinking. He wanted to put something into action, stop messing with computers and sending secret messages and just _do _something. Tony felt that the advancement had been minimal and he was ready for some progress to be made.

"And at the rate your going it won't be him." Gibbs was a man of few words but those few that he did speak had a serious impact on others.

DiNozzo may be a jokester and know way too much about movies but Gibbs had really seen him grow, as a person and as a agent. Every now and then though he still needed a firm slap on the back of the head from him or a slap in the face from reality. He was passionate about his job and way more so for this particular case. He still wasn't able to know how to channel it all in the right way causing more of a melt down than for him to be driven to accomplish what it was that needed to be done.

"Why are we all just sitting here? Why are you letting this guy have control? Why aren't we out there doing something instead of sitting in the freakin' squad room!" Gibbs says nothing but just stares the heavily breathing field agent in the eye. "Shutting up, boss," Tony finishes and sits down at his desk now aware of the several pairs of eyes that were on him. One of them being, of course, Director Vance who decided to make his way down the steps and turn right into the bull pen. He stopped in front of Gibbs' desk. Gibbs didn't look up, his glasses bearing eyes stayed focused on the computer screen and he just seemed to ignore the director.

"Agent Gibbs," Vance said in a way to get his attention but could also be clearly heard was the sound of annoyance.

"Leon," Gibbs says back to him in a condescending tone. Drawing his name out much more than necessary.

"Last I heard your team wasn't working on a case but from the sound of it you have something to brief me on."

Gibbs looks at him for a moment and then removes his reading glasses and stands up to meet the director in the eyes. "Nope." And with that Gibbs began making his way to the elevator.

"Agent Gibbs!" Director Vance says with demand clearly laced through his tone. "Where do you think you're going exactly?"

"Coffee."

"Wrong answer. My office, now." Gibbs walks back and does a stare on the director, who stares right back, and then begins making his way up the stairs towards the door marked "Director Vance." Gibbs walks right past Cynthia and, after learning from past experience, lets him go right in. He stands in front of Director Vance's chair and waits until the door opens once again and reveals a rather angry, yet still calm, director. "I know that you may be used to being the one in charge Agent Gibbs but that's not how it works when I'm the head of the agency," Leon says and pulls out one of his infamous toothpicks, placing it in his mouth and leaving the plastic wrapping on his desk. Gibbs looks down on the director who is staring expectantly up at him, as though he thought he would have something to say to that. Gibbs though, being Gibbs, remains silent waiting for Vance to continue. "I know that this agency didn't follow the rules. You didn't even follow the guidelines of the rules. Director Shepard was easily manipulated, something you took advantage of. You called the shots."

"On my cases," Gibbs says simply. Seems like maybe Vance should know a few of the rules, thirty-eight in particular.

You're in charge of your team, Agent Gibbs. I'm in charge of you; something that you need to begin to respect. Now, is there something you need to read me in on?" Vance asks but with a suggestive tone that made it sound much less like a question.

"Yeah, you've got something stuck in your teeth," Gibbs says and starts walking towards the door.

"Unless you wish to be relieved of your duties I suggest that you come inform me on the current case you're running."

"Personal."

"Then it should be handed over to another team or the FBI," Vance says and watches as Gibbs' hand retracts from the doorknob but remains in the same position.

"Can't do that."

"You sure as hell can or you can fill me in and maybe I can determine just how personal it is and whether or not it's necessary to pull the case from your team." Gibbs can't help but smile from the words the director had just said. "What's so funny, Agent Gibbs?"

"Jen wasn't the only one who is easily manipulated." And with that Gibbs exited the door. He half expected the director to follow him out but wasn't surprise when he had made it back to the squad room without him doing so. The three agents stared at him with expectant looks but Gibbs said nothing and just replaced his glasses on his face and continued what he had begun on the computer before. The squad room stayed silent for a few minutes before Ziva finally spoke, asking the question many of them had wanted to know.

"Is Director Vance aware of-"

"Do you think he would still be in his office if he was, Officer David?" Gibbs says in an obvious tone. Ziva gets up walking over to his desk, she stares down at him for a moment and he gives her an expectant look. "You got something to say?"

"Yes Gibbs, I do," Ziva says and Gibbs' expression changes from expectation to impatience. "I agree with Tony. We are going about this the wrong way. The technical stuff is important but there is only so much we can do in that area."

"What do you think we should do, Ziva?"

"Take action," she tells him simply.

"Can you do that?" Gibbs asks her.

"Yes," she answers with the slightest hesitation. "Yes." This time Ziva says it with pure determination.

"Okay, what do you think we should do?"

"Me?" Ziva questions, surprised that he is not telling them to grab their gear. He was asking her opinion? Gibbs was having her call the shots?

"Yeah Ziva, you. You know him best, you know the best plan of action to take," Gibbs waits, taking in her reaction, how she registers what he's saying. "If you can."

"Yes," she repeats again. "I can."

"And what do you think should be done, Ziva?"

"An ambush."

Both Tony and McGee look at her with surprise, "Like an attack?" McGee asks not bothering to mask his shock.

"What do you think we should do? Arrest him? Take him into custody? The most effective way to bring him down is to take him down. Literally," Ziva tells Tim. Meeting the junior field agent straight in the eye. "He will stop at nothing, McGee. Even if we could disable the bomb or trick him the night of the attack it will, in no way, stop him from finding another way at another time. He is stubborn and his mind is set up."

"Made up," Tony says receiving a glare from Ziva. Her expression softens though as she meets his gaze. She gives him a soft, half smile, a look that scared Tony greatly.

"Thank you, Tony...And I am sorry for back in Abby's lab." He nods at her giving her a counter smile.

Gibbs rolls his eyes at the exchange between the two. He decided to intervine before both them would be getting head slaps and an abrupt reminder of rule twelve. "Hey!" he says for the second time that day and they turn, their focus now fully on him. "You got a plan or what?"

"I do," she says peaking the interest of the team. "It could be risky though..."

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Discussions were a constant, plans were written down, ideas had been voiced from the whole team, and decisions had been made. Surprisingly as the day had gone on and the more progress had been completed the more alert and awake they were. Everybody's spirits brightened that there could actually be a solution to the problem, a healing to the suffering. The negativity lessened and there seemed to be a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel. they had planned there ambush for Saturday, the night of the dinner. Ziva thought it was only Michael and her father but she was unsure. If there was someone else working with her father on this sick project and they failed to take him out the consequences could be deadly. Ziva was sure that her father would have absolutely there while he prepared her for the dinner. Therefore they could take them down, all of them, and the end could be found. Of course there would be the messy aftermath on how to explain this whole affair but Gibbs had assured them he'd deal with the director. Ziva would rather deal with Director Vance than the angered group at Mossad. If Tony thought it was bad when she got angry...He wouldn't last five minutes with a group of pissed off Mossad officers.

"Go home," Gibbs suddenly says. It was 1900h hours and even though the day's cheerfulness had looked up his agents were exhausted; as was Abby but she had already fallen asleep on her lab floor. "Get some rest."

"Gibbs, are you sure?" Ziva asks not quite ready to leave yet. "There is still more that we could-"

"No," he says cutting her off. "We're done, Ziver. Go home, relax and be back here at 0700h hours tomorrow."

McGee's the first to stand up, well past ready to go home. He had been attacked with story ideas all day long and he was running low on post-its. A little jazz and some time with his typewriter sounded good. "Where you going in a rush, McTim?" Tony asks but McGee ignores him walking to the elevator and pressing the descend button.

Tony and Ziva both exchange a look before they also get up and make their way to the elevator. "Wanna meet your niece?" Tony asks and Ziva turns and smiles at him as they both walk into the elevator. Tony knew her response before she answered, he'd known before he had even asked. She was curious, still not quite over the shock.

"How old is she?" Did she meet her father before Ziva had... She had felt guilt before but now was much worse. She had taken a child's father away from her.

"Five, really cute too. She likes movies."

"Around you no one has any other choice than to like movies, Tony," Ziva comments. "In your story it is, like movies or be shunned."

"It's in my book, Ziva," he could almost swear she did it on purpose sometimes.

"I just need to be back before five this morning," Ziva tells him as he puts the car in reverse. "That is when Abby will switch my wires back to the actual feed." The twenty minute car ride is filled with the playful banter between the two and Ziva constantly telling him to go around the cars. The very slow cars. Tony pulls into Ducky's driveway and gets out, along with Ziva, and they climbed the steps up to the front door. Tony rings the bell grateful that Jeopardy! was on and Mrs. Mallard would either be watching that or already snoring on the couch.

"Ziva!" Ducky happily says as he opens the door. "It's good to see you my dear."

"You as well, Ducky," she replies.

"Hannah has been waiting for you since twenty minutes after you dropped her off, Anthony," Ducky informs him and Tony smiles at the comment. In one night that little girl sure had grown on him, definitely not the after effect he had expected. "Her and mother are in the living room if you would like to come in."

Tony takes no hesitation in walking past Ducky and into the living room where Hannah and Mrs. Mallard sat watching Jeopardy!...What appeared to be the same episode from the night before. He didn't have to dwell on the thought though as a small voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Tony!" Hannah exclaimed and jumped off the couch, running over to hug him

"Miss me?" he asks and lifts her up into his arms.

She smiles at him and nods. "Can we watch a movie tonight?"

"Of course!" he exclaims over-enthusiastically and receives a small giggle because of it. Ziva smiled at the exchange between the two. She could not believe how much the girl resembled Ari. She even had his smile, a smile which Ziva had not seen in much longer than the date of her brother's death. The small girl continued to talk to Tony, filling him in on her day, and Ziva was surprised at how comfortable she seemed with Tony. "This is your Aunt Ziva," Tony says and begins walking over to her, Hannah still in his arms. "The one who I was telling you about."

"I was your Aba's Achoti."

"You are Ziva?" Hannah questions her eyes filled with confusion.

"Yes, I am," Ziva tells her. What significance did her name have?

"The man who came me here said I should not meet you. That you are rah me'od," Hannah says and Tony recognizes the word before to mean 'very bad.' It reminded Tony that they still did not know why she was here. As far as they could tell she was just a kid who was related to Ziva that somehow ended up with them...Sent by Ziva's father...Who just so happened to be trying to kill her. A bit too coincidental and, as Gibbs says, there is no such thing as coincidences. "He said that you killed my aba."

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**Wow it has been way too long since I last posted! I'm really sorry! Feel free to head slap me. I deserve it for taking so long. The past couple weeks have been crazy and alot of stuff has been going on not leaving me a lot of time to write. Things are slowing down now though so I should have more time. Anyways I hope the chapter was okay and the next one will be up sooner. I promise! Have a great day :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**I'm alive! So sorry that this took so long but my computer crashed and I've been unable to do anything with it. So thirty six system restores, twenty eight Spybot virus scans, sixteen AVG virus scans and one memory swipe later it's finally working again! I lost all of my data though and basically had to re-write this chapter. It was harder to get back into the swing of writing than I though it would be but hopefully this is still half way decent. Enjoy! Or at least try to...**

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Ziva sighed, resting her body against the car seat for a moment as Tony and Hannah got out making their way to Tony's apartment building. The farther they got into this the more pieces seemed to be missing from this crazy puzzle. How could Hannah know that Ziva was the one who killed Ari? How did Michael know? How had it come to her father's attention? Only she and Gibbs knew the truth and yet it was as though someone had been listening to her private conversations. How was she expected to explain to Hannah that she had killed her father? How could she justify herself on something that she still felt guilt and regret for doing? Hannah was five, could Ziva honestly expect her to comprehend the situation? She did not want Hannah to think of her father as an evil man, she wanted Hannah to think of Ari in the same way that Ziva liked to remember him. The caring protector, the stronghold and safe fortress, not a man who killed innocent people, one who was driven by hate and by his anger and resentment. No child should think of their father in that way. Daddy's read you stories and danced around the house with you, at least that is what Ziva had seen portrayed in America. Loving embraces and holding you close when you were fearful, that is what father's did, right? Hannah probably did not have any memories of Ari, if he ever even met her was still a mystery to Ziva, the things she had heard, or had imagined herself, was the image of her father. Ziva could only hope that that image was a good one and if it was there was no way she could destroy it. Even though Hannah would most likely hate her, just like Ziva still hated those bombers who killed Tali, she would much rather have the small girl see her as a monster rather than to have her see her own father as one.

Ziva jumped at the rapid tapping at her window and instinctively grabbed her gun pointing it at the glass. Tony jumped back as soon as he saw the barrel of the gun go right where his forehead was. He held his hands up in mock surrender and Ziva breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was just her partner. She reholestered her gun and got out of the car, following Tony up to the door. "I was wondering what happened to you," he says as they climb the stairs to the third floor. Ziva stops outside the door and turns to face Tony.

"Perhaps I should just go home," she suggests and Tony gives her a worried glance.

"What? Why?"

"She must hate me Tony," Ziva says, what did he mean why? Sure Tony could be slow but he was not that bad. Or at least Ziva did not think he was.

"Hannah?" Tony asked as though the thought had never even crossed his mind.

"Yes Tony, I killed her father," Ziva said as a reminder. Perhaps he had amnesia or the lack of sleep was getting to him.

"You didn't actually kill him, Ziva," Tony says as though she had forgotten. His mind set quickly changes as he sees her eyes fall from his stare. She takes a breath not wanting to have to admit the words. It was bad enough that she knew what she had done, she did not want anyone else to know. It was a secret, one that you feel extreme guilt over. How could she reveal the truth, the horrible reality.

"I did." Tony stares at her in surprise. She had killed her brother? Hadn't Gibbs killed Ari? That's what he had said. That's what Tony had believed.

"You..." Tony starts to ask but cannot even find the words.

"If I had not... Gibbs, he would have been killed. I killed Ari, Tony," she says like she was confirming it by repeating the words. "Hannah is right. I am rah me'od."

"No, Ziva-"

"Yes, Tony. I betrayed my family, killed my own brother. Killed her father." Tony sees the pain and regret in her eyes. She feels guilt, now not just for killing her brother but also for killing Hannah's dad.

"What's worse Ziva? Growing up without a father or having a father like yours?" Tony questions trying to change her way of thinking. "You told me yourself that Ari was not the brother you grew up with, he was a monster. Hannah would have grown up perhaps in worse conditions then she is in now. Ari might not of even been a part of her life but if he was what would the situation of been like? From what you have told me of Ari and from the things I know he was not in a suitable positioning to be a father. Isn't it better for her to believe her father was someone who loved her then for her to have grown up knowing, and living, the exact opposite?"

Ziva presses her hands against her head to the area where the ache was growing. "I...I do not know," she admits, exhaustion washing over her. "It does not matter to a child though."

"I don't think Hannah's capable of hating anyone Ziva. Besides didn't you hear her in the car?"

"No," Ziva says. In fact she barely remembered the drive over to Tony's apartment. Everything had been a bit of a blur.

"She said that she didn't think you were rah me'od. That she didn't blame you for her aba's death. I'm telling you, Zi she's one smart kid."

"Tony there is no way she could possibly understand that-"

"But I do," Hannah says from the doorway, neither had noticed she had been there. "In Israel I listen different things. If you are quiet enough you can listen with no one noticing. I am told things, no true things, but when I listen I learned the truth. My Aba, he was rah me'od, like I told. He did bad things, and he would had did more bad things if you did not kill him. You saved lots of people. You are tov me'od," Hannah tells her, nodding her head at the end to emphasis her point.

"Hannah, I am very sorry," Ziva says kneeling down to the girl's level. Ziva finally was able to get a good look at her. Wild curly hair and big brown eyes that shone with determination in them. She had Ari's nose and the same arch in her eyebrows that Ziva's father had. She was small, tall for her age but very skinny. The skin on her hands were raw as were her lips, probably from the climate change. She had suddenly been taken from Israel's desert like area to the freezing weather in DC. Her posture was attentive and alert and would see her shift her eyes, only for a second, to certain noises. Either her instincts were impeccable or she was being raised in Mossad style. Ziva desperately hoped it was the first.

"I understand," she said. Stating the very thing Ziva did not find possible to believe. "Do not sorry."

Ziva smiled at the girl's mistake but caught herself before she corrected her. Perhaps she understood why Tony corrected her English so often a bit more now. "I will always be sorry," Ziva explains, she would never justify to herself, or anyone else, what she had done. No matter what the consequences would have been otherwise. "Sometimes we live with regret no matter the right, or wrong, of our choices." She felt that it was rather pointless trying to explain such difficult things to someone so young. However, Hannah's eyes revealed, not only the confusion that Ziva had expected, but also comprehension. "Does that make any sense to you?" she asks and Hannah nods her head in confirmation.

"Can we watch the Bonds now?" Hannah questions, her eyes now looking up to Tony.

"James Bond?" he asks figuring she meant that. Either that or Stocks and Bonds, more of a book for her to read with Probie though. "You bet!" Tony exclaims then throws Hannah up on his shoulders and running into the apartment, he spins her around the room a few times before tossing the giggling girl down on to the couch. Ziva could not help but smile at the loud gasps of laughter coming from Hannah and the deep chuckling of Tony. Perhaps, if this whole dilemma were to turn out okay, it would very well be worth it, it would be worth more if this is what it would bring her. Happiness was priceless.

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Tony slips his arms out from under Hannah as he places the sleeping girl on his bed and walks back out, quietly shutting the door behind him, to join Ziva in the living room. He sighs as he plops down on to the couch next to her. The room now completely silent, void of James Bond and Hannah's snoring. He looks over at her, the dark circles under her eyes and large yawn giving away her pretense of the claimed not being tired. They sit in comfortable silence, both having things to say, questions to ask, but too happy in the calmness of silence to disrupt it. As Ziva unsuccessfully tries to hide another yawn Tony decides to speak up. "Maybe you should get home," he suggests looking from the time on his DVD player and back to her. "Get some rest."

"I am fine, Tony," she claims in a rather unconvincing tone. "She seems rather attached to you," Ziva says. Clearly she had been thinking of Hannah, now striking up a conversation of her. Tony was unsure if that was because she was as interested as she seemed or to distract him from having her go home. He decided it did not really matter, it wasn't as though he really wanted her to go.

"Hannah's pretty attached to everyone," Tony says shrugging off just how much he knew that little girl had grown to trust him in the past couple nights. "Anyone who's not whacking her on a regular basis is good in her book." A pained expression crosses across Ziva's face at his words. Perhaps Hannah was more like Ari than she knew, or wanted. "Sorry."

"You have no need to apologize for anything, Tony," Ziva tells him. "If anything I owe apologies. After all I have put you through, everyone through. Gibbs, Abby, McGee, Ducky, and of course you Tony. It feels like such a waste." Tony's eyebrows pull together as those words slip past her lips. He begins to correct her but is stopped before his mouth is even open far enough to make a word. "I know what you will say, Tony and I appreciate it but it is completely unnecessary. You are all risking your careers, not too mention your lives, and why? Because of my incompetence to inform you of what was going on when I had originally discovered it. Because I was naive enough to go out for a run when I should have known exactly what would happen. It is my fault that it ever went this far in the first place and I am sorry."

"You know that none of us blame you. Right, Ziva?" Tony asks and when her eyes still don't meet his he knows the answer. "Ziva David," he says in a joking yet meaningful tone, "I always believed you were smarter than that. You're the victim, Ziva, not the one at fault. You already apologized and you know what they say about forgiveness." Ziva gives him a look and he laughs softly. "Okay I take that back. You don't, no surprise there though. This isn't _your_ fault. Who knows maybe your father would have just used some suicide bomber and none of us would have known about it meaning there would have been no way for us to stop it. So then the president would die, the director would die, you would die since you're the one accompanying Director Vance and let us not forget all the cheese cubes that would have gone to waste."

Ziva smiles, more grateful than ever for Tony's way of brightening a situation. "Thank you, Tony." The sincerity drenches her voice, leaving not even the slightest bit of doubt in her gratitude.

"Just promise me one thing?"

"Which is?" Ziva asks, slightly nervous of what his request would be.

"No more runs. At least till Sunday."

"If we live that long

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"I got your last goblin!" Abby exclaims a smug smile creeping across her face. Abby awoke from the floor of her lab at one in the morning and although going home and getting more rest-especially since she had to get to work in four hours to turn Ziva's wires back to the live feed-would have been much more wise than going to McGee's apartment and playing computer games with him, she didn't particularly care. Odds were she wouldn't have even gotten more rest and would have been up worrying for most of the night. This was better.

McGee had been writing. Well he was writing, and then he went to re-reading the same last sentence trying to think of a good way to go on to the next one. Twenty minutes later of staring at the same sentence he was extremely grateful for Abby's interruption. "Oh yeah?" McGee challenges as he blasts another attack on Abby's sorceress, "Well I still have five trolls where as you're down to two."

"Who cares? Trolls are like the bottom of the food chain," she says just as her sorceress is met by a body-slam from McGee's were-wolf.

"Haha," he gives his mockingly triumphant laugh, "In the lead even more." McGee's tone void of all modesty and he turns to look at her with a smirk across his face.

"Well maybe if you were paying attention you would have been able to stop my vampire attack," Abby tells him and watches as his prideful look becomes one of horror. He quickly tries to stop the vampire's chant but isn't even close when the screen is suddenly engulfed in a white light and then flashing a red "Game over" on McGee's side of the split-screen.

Abby is now the one with a contented grin on her face as she stares over at McGee. "I've always told you getting cocky would get you in trouble," she reminds him as his jaw remains open staring at the screen as if he could some how change it by breathing through his mouth. "Not to mention it's extremely unattractive."

"Yeah well not all of us got a six hour nap. I've been up since five this morning!" he reminds her trying to pin his failure on to other things.

"I offered to go home."

"I haven't eaten anything in a while either," McGee continues. His next excuse is all ready for when Abby calls him on this one.

"We devoured a family size bag of Dortios just twenty minutes ago."

"I haven't showered in, like two days."

"That's just highly unsanitary," Abby retorts, proud of herself when McGee finally falls back into his chair in defeat. "Most adults can take to losing a lot better."

"Most adults don't sleep in a coffin," McGee tries but knows it's a failure. Abby was strangely proud of sleeping in a coffin.

"Most men aren't intimidated by women," she counters, putting extra emphasis on 'men.'

"I am not intimidated by women!" he exclaims, more defensive than need be.

"You mean you aren't intimidated by me, Tim?"

He knew that the words should be something he should deny but her tone was just so angry. "I- uh well, I mean that. No. I-I'm not..."Abby smiled even larger. She felt bad for a second, McGee was pretty out of it, but recovered from the guilt when he unplugged the computer. "I'm going to bed now."

"One more game?" Abby pleads feeling like a child. She _should_ sleep, they both should. But since when did they do the thing that they should do? And what would a wood chuck chuck?

"You can play all you want yourself, I guess," he says and flips the switch back over for the computer to reboot. He should have known not to turn it off. "I am going to bed. We have to be up in..." he pauses and looks at his watch, "An hour and twenty minutes. One more game," McGee says and sits down next to her. They were going to be over-loading on Caf-Pow tomorrow for sure.

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**It's horrible I know but I had a rather hard time writing this. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in to the swing of things soon. Please review even if it is just to tell me this chapter was way below standards! Thanks for your patience guys. Have a great week :)**


	32. Chapter 32

Wednesday went by quickly. Things were calm and quiet in the office. Abby had scanned all of the computer and found them to be clean so now they were more confident in the e-mail method. Vance had sent Gibbs' team to a crime scene but as soon as Gibbs had discovered Metro Police were involved he happily handed the case over. That gained Vance's attention all the more, Gibbs would barely cooperate with other agencies never mind completely hand it over. However the director didn't question him. If this kept up though he may be paying a visit to Abby though. It usually proved useful.

Thursday was just the same, a blur of quiet actions. Each person on auto-pilot for what they know they should be doing, where as their actual attention was set towards more planning. There wasn't really much more to plan; they were mostly reviewing the plans but it was better than sitting there. The bullpen was too tense for anyone to get bored, yet too still for anyone to feel the full effects from the tension.

Ziva's father had called a few times. He hadn't seem to know of the fact that they had changed the feed or at least he had not let on if he did. Eli had requested for Ziva to meet with him on Friday night and of course again on Saturday before the event. In order to...Put things in place. Ziva, of course, had reluctantly agreed- the option was more of an unnecessary courtesy than an actual option. Abby and McGee were going to interrupt the wire's feed again before both meets in order for the team to talk freely. Gibbs had sent Ziva home early on Friday, at least that's what Director David thought, which gave the team an hour to talk. They had already decided that Gibbs and Tony would go for back up although they knew it was unnecessary. Eli wouldn't pull anything hinky this short of time before the mission was about to be completed, and if he had discovered that Ziva had revealed what was going on to Team Gibbs both Gibbs and DiNozzo knew that there wouldn't be enough time for either of them to go protect her before she was killed. However they still insisted she didn't go alone so they would be in the car a couple blocks away.

Ziva sat downstairs in Abby's lab at the moment, cleaning her gun even though she hadn't used it since the last time she had cleaned it. Yesterday. Night's had left her very bored and anxious. Good time to clean her weapons, however less than an hour before she was to go meet the man who was slowly destructing her life left her rather anxious as well. Ziva had become rather frustrated upstairs as Tony Gibbs and McGee continued to speak of her as some helpless person who constantly needed protection. That's why she had found her way to Abby's lab. Abby however had been rather quiet, well quiet for her at least. Ziva was content with the silence though. She did not feel like making small talk and didn't think she could handle holding up an even end of a conversation. She was not used to being so worried before a mission. Except this wasn't a regular mission. If this kept up though she wouldn't be any good and how would she do tomorrow? This was nothing compared to the what she, the whole team, would be encountering tomorrow. Tonight was a talk, one way discussion, tomorrow would be the action. Slowly she reassembled the gun, hearing the click as the loaded magazine of the gun reconnected.

She reholestered her gun and went to get her back up out, but caught a glance of Abby's lip trembling when she looked up. "Abby?" Ziva asks quietly and she turns from her desk running over and crushing Ziva into a hug. "It will be fine, Abby."

"Then why is everyone so worried?" she questioned, pulling away from the hug, even though she knew the answer. It very well could not all be okay. It could very easily all go terribly wrong.

"Abby-"

"No! You all having something to do. You can make all these plans and perfect things even more. All I can do is stand down here and worry and wonder. You may not be scared but I am!" she finishes near hysteria. How could Ziva be so calm and composed? How could she take everything so coolly. She could very well be walking to her death and she didn't even show the slightest hint of fear.

"Fear will do us nothing, Abby. All it will do is prevent us from doing our jobs the absolute best way that we can. Now take a breath. Things will be just fine."

"You bet I've even got another Caf-Pow for you right here, Abs," Tony says as he comes strolling in. Hearing no more of the conversation besides Ziva's last comment.

"Where's Gibbs?" she demands taking the Caf-Pow from him despite her displeasure with the deliverer of it.

"In MTAC, with a very questioning Vance."

"And McGee?"

"Doing some very McGeeky things I'm sure," Tony tells her giving her a DiNozzo grin in a pitiful attempt to cheer her up. They were all distressed, Abby was just the worst at hiding it; or perhaps the best at showing it. "I think McGee wanted to talk to you about the chip with your microphone over the IBS connection for the...Ya know other thingy." Tony finally gives up the tech talk and switches over to Gibbs' way for describing it. Much easier that way.

"Oh, alright," Ziva says and leaves the lab with a final, encouraging smile to Abby. Tony follows her out and into the elevator. Much as Ziva had expected he reaches over and flips the emergency brake. "We should really consider a different place to talk."

"You honestly not scared?" Ziva looks over at him in surprise. Did he know her at all?

"It is a mission, Tony. Why would I be?"

"'Cause this is as much of a mission as Gibbs' pursue of Ari was or as much as my relationship with Jeanne was. This is much more than a mission, Zi."

"Yes, I know that. It does not change who I am or what I said. Being afraid will just get us hurt or killed." Tony finally turned his gaze on to her staring in the silence. "Are you Gibbs now? Do you plan to stare at me until I do or say what you want me to?"

"I was actually hoping for the truth. I thought maybe we'd gotten to the point where secrets weren't necessary."

"You believe me to be lying?" A hint of anger creeping into her.

"No, I know it. I thought we were past screaming at each other though."

Ziva takes a breath, exhaling slowly and places her head in her hands, slowly letting them fall from her face. "I am sorry."

"Again?"

"Still. I just am not quite...Ready yet."

"For?" Tony questions simply. Wanting to encourage her to continue but not push her to rebuild her wall.

"So much. I'm not ready for tonight or tomorrow. Not for what my duties may very well demand me to do. Not for becoming what Hannah needs me to be. Not for the inevitable," she finally admits. It was the easiest way to sum it all up, it covered all bases. "I am rather used to having a choice and of being in control, at least somewhat. Such unpreventable and brutally permanent actions are things I am not ready to act on. I do not know if I can do this. Not now, not ever. Yet I know I have to and if I were not to the consequences would be much worse than the end result of this path. It does not make it easier, it does not make it less complicated."

"We have faith in you," Tony reminds her, "Trust too."

"It is unearned."

"It's very well deserved, Ziva."

"I am much more than scared, Tony, and far past frightened," Ziva informs him in a whisper. "So much is at stake. It began with my life and hundreds of others. It continued to involve you and then Gibbs, McGee, Ducky, and Abby. Now Hannah." She pauses smiling as she remembered the little girl, so much of Ari was in her and Ziva saw much of herself as well. "You must promise me, Tony. Promise me that no matter what the outcome is, if you survive that you will care for Hannah."

"No."

Ziva's eyes widen in shock and her calming techniques vanish. She was very well ready to kimbo-slice him now.

"You will," Tony fills in quickly. He'd been hoping to go for more of a dramatic pause as they do in the movies but when Ziva became angry it scared him so he figured continuing would be a better choice. "It will work out and you'll be here to love and raise Hannah."

"If I am not able to?"

"You will," is his simple response as he restarts the elevator. One day he was sure they were going to do that only to be met with a "Cu-clunk" of the elevator breaking.

"Thank you, Tony." She was still worried, they both were. However the reassurance had managed to calm their nerves slightly. The future was as unknown as it was understood. Events would come and pivotal changes would be brought to both their lives. They both knew that something would remain the same and just why they were doing this. Each other.

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**Sorry it's so short but I thought it would be better as a standalone chapter instead of continuing on into the next segment. I hope its still decent even in the choppiness of the chapter. Next one will be longer I promise! I hope you liked and please review! Have a great week :)**


	33. Chapter 33

It was dark. That was Ziva's first thought as she pulled up near the alley way behind the building that the dinner would be held at tomorrow, the place where she would meet with her father, and killer, tonight. Gibbs had parked a couple blocks back so that there would be no way of Eli to see him, unless he went looking of course. Knowing that Tony and Gibbs were not far behind her made her calm down some, even if the only thing they could do if she was murdered was call Ducky to pick up the body. She did not care. Because despite the protest she had originally made Ziva was quite glad that they had not relented. They couldn't save her, they couldn't help her, they couldn't go to the meet in her place but having them close by did ease the anxiousness. Slightly at least.

She willed her heart beat to slow down and forced herself to breath evenly through the fear. She was a Mossad assassin and had been in situations of which were much worse than they would be tonight. Yet she had never felt more terrified than when she thought of what was happening next.

Ziva had killed many people, when she had been in Israel it was not even something that passed her thoughts, when she would pull the trigger or whatever method she had chosen for that specific target. That was why though, why she did not care when those duties called her to kill, why it was as simple as hitting a button to turn on the TV or as effortless as when she would run. They were targets, not people. It was a mission, not a moment of life or death. After killing Ari and then going to work for NCIS that all changed though. Ari was a target but he was also her brother. Now before each time she pulled the trigger, or takes away the life of another human being, she is reminded that this person is someone's friend, someone's son or daughter, someone's brother or sister, someone's Ari. NCIS taught her to feel, and as she gained the ability to know and understand her own emotions and sentiments she had also become well aware of the feelings of those around her. She had been trained to read people, amongst other things, and whereas before it was a few simple words of what they're state of mind was Ziva had now begun to want to understand it. Worst of it all was when she did.

Now in her life things weren't black and white, right or wrong, good or evil. There were no positive results, no definite outcome. Yes or no's had now become possibilities or maybes. That was life, she had begun to realize. That was how the world worked. There was a way around everything, a right was always there to match someone's wrong. A scapegoat was always available to remove one's shame and the blame that had previously been pressed upon them. It was when these wrongs had become to be accepted as right that Ziva had realized the true difference of how she was raised to see things and how the world actually worked. Lies had become a necessity, in a way where she did not think twice about them. Stealing, whether of the physical attributes or that of an emotional state, did not seem like such an evil. Murder, too easy. These things were too routine, too accepted. Ziva did not realize the guilt that she carried with her, she had felt it at the beginning of her training, as anyone would, but slowly she thought that it faded. Little did she know it only numbed. There was such a thing as a just kill, or a rightful lie however right and wrong cannot be entangled time and time again. Ziva knew she had killed for wrong reasons, taken wrong and walked on with no consequences so mistaking it for right. There were decisions she could never take back, lives she could never restore, broken hearts she could never fix. However she did not want to be the result of another's hurt and misery. Her job had now become that of healing, helping, and saving. She took pride in her job. Those things were her mission.

Her father however still saw things the same way Ziva had only a few years ago. He was the one who had raised her like that and he was the one that kept the consequences away from her so she would do as he asked. He knew she had a conscience so he did what he could to make everything seem like it was a good thing. Director David most certainly did not have a conscience though. Every murder was just, every life that was proven worthless by him must be. So that was how it was. Nothing had changed for him and that was a very good reason to fear tonight.

Ziva took another breath, after all there was no way she could be too calm. She had been trained by Mossad to be capable of hiding her fears and anxiousness. It would make little difference though, her father would be able to tell. He had been the one who trained her.

She stepped out of her Mini-Cooper and was grateful that her eyes had already had time to adjust to the darkness. Otherwise she never would have seen the movement that took place behind her. In one swift movement Michael was on the ground and a woman's size seven combat boot was placed over his neck. She couldn't do anything though, and Michael knew it. She had hoped even with his knowledge she would still be able to see fear in his eyes, even just the slightest, but no such luck existed. He smirked at her, in a way that desperately made her want to apply pressure to the leg she had placed over his throat. "A lot like in Israel," he said quietly and she gave him a confused look. "You on top." _Just a slight shift of weight to the inner right side of my left foot and..._ She made her thoughts drift out and instead settled for taking her foot off of the kill spot and instead placing it at his hand and then, just for a moment that you most likely would have missed if you blinked, applied every last bit of pressure to his hand. Ziva felt prideful as his face twisted in pain but the feeling was wiped as a familiar hand was felt on her shoulder. _Strong twist, contortion of the body, a simple flip and then grab the knife secured at my waist..._Ziva smiled ruefully as the image passed through her mind. She had not thought about killing or injuring others like this in awhile. Not unless thrown into a life or death situation of course and then it was pure action, no thoughts. However she knew she had made progress from the fact that she manged to resist and keep these things just that, thoughts.

"Is that really necessary, bat?" Eli questions and at first Ziva thinks he has seen her intentions but then remembers that she had just impaired Rivkin on one of his hands...And why. Not only had Ziva not wanted to be reminded of the unfortunate past relationship between her and Michael but now Gibbs, Tony, Abby and McGee all knew as well. Most likely Ducky and Palmer too. _There goes that secret._

"Yes."

'I do not believe it was," he responds and she is glad that it took him a second to regain his same tone of voice. He most likely had not expected such a strong and forceful response from her.

"It was either that or a bullet through his head." Truthful. That is what she would be up until whichever on of them it was died. No hiding anything, no watching what she said. A good tongue lashing never hurt anyone, well it very well may but in all honesty she did not think it would nor did she care if it did. "Perhaps one through your's would be better though."

Her aba smiled at her as though she had just given a witty response to that stupid ostrich crossing the rode question. "I suppose Michael's hand will recover."

"I hope not," Ziva replies and is grateful that they had not risked adding an earwig to the wires in fear that her father would discover the extra accessory. She did not want Gibbs or Tony to kill her buzz and force her to be polite. He would not kill for the words she spoke, as long the secret remained intact. It was no longer but he did not know that so it did not make a difference. Ziva shrugged the hand off of her shoulder and begins to make her way to the alley. However a stronger force grabs her wrist and tugs her back to spin her around and face him. The tug was hard, angry, but she finds the face of the same man she saw as a child, the non-upset Aba. Sometimes she liked him, especially when he would praise her. The words of encouragement had been few and far between in her childhood but she treasured each one of them. She hated this face now, she hated every face that he had ever shown her because Ziva David hated _him_.

"I think a meeting in the car would be better. It is rather chilly out tonight," he says and gestures around corner, in the opposite direction she came in and farther away where Gibbs and Tony were parked.

"I would prefer we speak outside," she tells him hating the idea of being confined with her father and Michael in a car. A car with an engine, one that could unexpectedly drive her away. He would not though. He knew in order for this to work she would have to be at NCIS tomorrow. She would have to put some sort of elegant outfit, which she had no clue as to what would be, for the formal dinner. He knew these things so she should not worry. Of course she did though.

"I would not." Which clearly marked the end of the conversation. Once again Ziva pulled away from his grasp and he smiled wryly before turning and walking in the direction she was to follow. Michael walked behind as though she would actually make a run for it. Her aba was just as smart as she gave him credit for.

Ziva ignored the growing anxiety knowing paranoia was just getting the best of her. Be held hostage once and you're scarred for life, and she had been held hostage more than once. Ziva wondered if this was what Gibbs' gut feelings were like. If they really were this strong then no wonder he trusted them so much. It was like her fight or flight instinct was telling her flight for the first time in her life. It was all because of fear though. Of course she was scared and she hated admitting this fear even to herself. After all it was the man who she knew capable of anything. Specialty: Murder. She also knew his biggest animal peeve though and that was not completing the mission. Her death would be just that. The realization comforted her as did the fact that Gibbs and Tony were around the corner, Abby and McGee at the office keeping an eye on the activity and of course the reliability she had on herself and the four different weapons she had safely strapped to her. Another breath and her heart rate decreased some, easing her mind by dotting the i's and crossing the t's in her thoughts and worries.

They turn the corner and Ziva sees a car very similar to the one she had been in before, different license plate though, and is surprised that her father sits in the backseat. She had imagined her and her father in the front seat with Michael in the back. That must mean either all three of them would be squished together or..._Stop_ Ziva tells herself once again going over the facts. Michael is close behind her as she climbs into the car. However she is surprised to see two more men in the front seat. One at the steering wheel and one with a lap top. She sees the man gliding his hands over the keys with ease.

"You have not been obedient." And then every calming breath, every forced even heart beat, it all disappears as she hears the engine rev in the car she's in. Tires squealing from not far behind and shots ringing out from all directions. _Damn it._

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**Did you expect that? Because up until a few paragraphs before I sure didn't... Sorry it's been so long I meant to have this up a few days ago but I was sick. Hopefully it was okay and I know it's a little short but I do love cliff hangers. The chapter came easily to me so hopefully it reads easily to you. Please review and have a great day :)**


	34. Chapter 34

Gibb and Tony sat in the car anxiously listening as Ziva, Eli and Michael walked towards the car. Gibbs was angry she agreed and Tony felt like he was watching a horror movie. What she was doing was clearly going to reveal the man with the giant chain saw but they had no choice but to sit and hope for the best. They heard nothing through the microphone aside from Ziva breathing in and out, the pace a bit too quick like after a jog. They knew she was apprehensive, so were they. So were Ducky and Abby and McGee. Even little Hannah seemed to have somehow caught on to the anxiety that Tony had been feeling. When she asked he told her the truth, in a way that he could tell a five year old without scaring her. That Ziva had to be very careful because she had a dangerous job. Then he got to play a fun game of twenty questions with her, she was rather intrigued by everything he said. Wanting to pick it apart and dissect each phrase and word separately. She would make one hell of a Mossad agent although he doubted that would happen. He had been joking with Ziva in e-mails one day and one mention of Hannah and Mossad had made her angry enough that he was afraid she would shoot him then and there. Ziva had clearly told him she wanted better for Hannah.

"Gibbs!" They were both pulled from whatever thoughts they were having at that moment from Abby's suddenly frantic voice. "I don't know what happened but the GPS on where the control over the wire's is from just jumped about twenty miles."

"Where is it now?" Gibbs asks not all surprised by the answer.

"With Ziva," she says and he hears her hitting keys on the other side.

"We just lost our connection. All the wires are being blocked. We've got nothing," McGee tells them trying his best to keep his voice calm.

"Son of a-" Gibbs starts but is too busy swerving the car as quickly as he can to catch up to Ziva in order to finish. They turn around the corner only to reveal a car racing away. Tony pulls his gun out but knows he cannot shoot the car. Instead he aims for the tires but that idea is quickly gone as someone, it was too dark to get any sort of facial recognition, leans out of the car with their gun and begins shooting back. Only this guy was not shooting at the tires. The two lean down, Gibbs trying to drive while not looking out the windshield as best he could.

"Gibbs! Tony!" Abby continues screaming out each of their names but receives no response aside from the sound of gunshots. "Gibbs! Gibbs!"

The windshield shatters causing glass splinters to fall all over the two agents. The Gibbs keeps driving though. Well up until he drove through the glass on the ground and flattened a tire. Or two or three. Both Gibbs and Tony are out of the car before either even think of what they are doing. It's a survival instinct only they are not the ones trying to stay alive. It's pointless however, as the car speeds around a corner getting farther and farther away. Leaving them with no targets aside from buildings and the scattered people that had accumulated from the interest of gun shot. You'd think they would run the other way instead of coming to them but of course that is not the case. Gibbs hold up his badge and ID showing they were federal agents and that the police officer coming towards them could go back to what he was doing before.

"I swear, if one of you does not answer me right now I am going to get in my Hertz and drive down there myself!" Abby exclaims hoping that she will be able to get an answer and praying even harder that its not one of Gibbs or Tony dialing for an ambulance.

"We're fine, Abby," Tony says. If she did not stop calling his name he was going to break the damn ear wig. Having words screamed in your ear was not the most helpful at a time like this. "Ziva's not though."

"Guys, I'm-"

"Not your fault," Gibbs says, cutting Abby off before she can continue. It didn't change anything though.

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"This is all my fault!" Abby yells at McGee as she paces back and forth with Bert tightly tucked under her arm.

"It's just as much my fault as it is your's, Abby." That was about the tenth time McGee had said that but Abby seemed to enjoy talking in circles tonight. Either she was trying to convince him to agree with her or she was just unsure of what to do next. He didn't know.

"I should have been more careful! I should have checked to see if anyone else had created a backdoor to the account like we did! I should have added our own separate way to get the signal from the wires.I should have..."

"None of that was even possible, Abby. They were on the same account and Ziva's wires have been completely disabled." Logic hadn't been working either. McGee had tutored someone in high school like this, well he had tried to anyways. That didn't end very well either.

"We never should have even tried to get into their system! If we hadn't then her father never would have found out that she told and Ziva wouldn't be being held hostage again!"

"If we hadn't accessed the director's system we never would have been able to conspire accurately." Dear God someone send Ducky back with Tony and Gibbs soon. "Why don't we try and see if there's anything else we can do to help," McGee suggests and knows very well which sentence is coming next.

"I have already messed up enough! You shouldn't let me do anything. This is all my fault!"

McGee puts his head down on the desk and closes his eyes. His patience was running thin and they were all stressed out enough as it was. He was suddenly envious of Hannah as he watched her sleep in the other room; Ducky had dropped her off since his mother would not be able to watch her if she needed something. He didn't even bother to reply this time and Abby is absolutely content to go into the next phrase without his cooperation. He was going to have some serious health issues after this was all over. Hopefully the profit from the book he wrote of these experiences would be able to pay the medical bills. It really made him curious of what Officer Lisa's fate would be. He originally planned for her to live but if Ziva died he didn't think he could write about Lisa again.

"Ziva is going to be fine!" Abby tells him and he begins to wonder if he had been thinking aloud. He must have done something to break her redundant speech. "She promised and Ziva doesn't lie. Well at least not to me. She would never break rule number one."

"I thought rule number one was never screw over your partner?"

"Abby's rule number one."

"Never lie to Abby," McGee recalls and is glad for the distraction it brought.

"-I had never seen anything like it before in my life." The two hear Ducky say figuring they just missed one of his stories from what they had heard.

"Gibbs!" Abby says running and throwing her arms around him. "Tony!" she yells next moving on to the senior field agent and showing the exact same amount of affection.

"What happened, Abby?" Tony asks quietly wanting to know just how it was that this all went so terribly wrong. It was just supposed to be a talk. A simple talk turned into another horrible nightmare. It was the same though. The same thoughts, same worries, same helplessness. Only maximized by the knowledge that this could be much worse than it was last time. They didn't know the outcome of the rather redundant previous problem. This one they knew what would happen. Death was imminent. No way around it this time. Now they no longer had time to discuss the now positively changed plans. Things were sure to have changed.

"I don't know for sure but I have theories."

"And?" Gibbs asks. Now was not the time for playing games.

"Well clearly there are more people than we originally thought in this little sick plan. They tricked us by having someone controlling the wires back where they had been the whole time. Then they must have had a lap top in the car and clearly that computer was able to access the control center. Once they did though the GPS tracker found them there but not before then. They tricked us and we fell for it."

"Not your fault," Gibbs repeats. He certainly didn't his team walking around feeling sorry for themselves when Ziva's life was being threatened every second she wasn't there with them. Where she belonged.

"Yes, it was, Gibbs! I should have seen that they knew we were there. I should have found a way too-"

"If you're not going to be able to concentrate and do what I need you to do then step aside and let Probie handle it," Tony says stopping her mid-sentence. _Not again_.

"Tony, I-"

"I don't want apologies and I don't want to hear whatever else it is you want to say!" he yells letting his anger get the better of him. It felt good to just let out some of the frustration. "I want you to get your ass over to your computer and find Ziva!"

"Where is Ziva?" All the attention that had been on Tony was now shifted to the previously sleeping girl. She looked scared and unsure, like a child who thought they'd just been caught doing something bad.

Tony ran his hands over his face, calming himself before talking to Hannah. He knew he'd upset her and did not want to do so anymore. "I'm sorry for waking you up, Hannah. Go back to sleep," he tells her still not facing her. He was unsure of what expression was on his face at the moment and did not want to risk off-setting anymore fear or concern from Hannah.

"Why are you yelled at Abby? She tell that she is sorry. Do you not love her no more?" Hannah asks but regrets it immediately. She should not ask such things. It was rah me'od.

"Of course I still love Abby, Hannah," he tells her now turning and looking at her. She seemed so small and helpless. He did not know what made this different than usual but she just looked so...Fragile. He bent down to her level and held his arms out. She gratefully walked and over and let him lift her up. She was tired, it was very late after all. "Sometimes when people are frustrated or mad they take their anger out on the people around them to make them feel better."

Hannah thought this over for a minute before responding. "Do you want to be angered with me?"

Tony cannot help but smile at her. "No, I'm better now." Hannah whispers something into his ear and when she leans back has a prideful smile on her face. "You're right," Tony says and then turns to Abby, "I'm very sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to yell."

"That's okay, Tony."

Hannah has already returned to Tony's ear though, reminding him of something else. "And I still love you very much." Hannah smiles contentedly and lowers her head on to Tony's shoulder. The lids of her eyes were very heavy and she did not want to keep her head up anymore. She had other questions before, but she couldn't remember what they were now. She could ask in a minute though; all she needed was to rest her eyes for a few minutes and then she would remember.

"Ziva," she says slurring the word with her sleepy tone. She had wanted to know what was wrong with Ziva. She tries to push her head back up and ask for more of an answer. It has barely been lifted half an inch when she feels Tony's hand lightly pressing it back down.

"Go to sleep, Hannah. I'll tell you later, promise," he whispers and is glad that the little girl was too tired to be stubborn tonight. Because boy when she was awake and knew she wanted something. Well the best way to put it is that she was more like her aunt then just in her looks.

"Lai la tov, Aba." Tony opens his mouth to correct her, tell her he is not her father, but closes it on second thought. Why wake her up anymore? Instead he just jerks his head over towards the computers looking meaningfully at Abby and McGee.

"We've tried everything," McGee says in a normal tone but Tony shoots him an angry glance as Hannah stirs in his arms some. "Uh," he starts again in a whisper. "Nothing worked. They left nothing for us to trace or follow. All the wires have been switched off and none of their cell phones are on."

He nods his head and decides to let Gibbs figure out what they do next. "Put a BOLO out on this plate," Gibbs says and reads the numbers and letters out to them. Tony did not even think about getting the license plate. Too many other things were going through his mind. Well one thing actually. _Not again._ It had been one thought that had not stopped since the whole ordeal happened. He was there that time, and she was taken from him again. This time with him right there, where he should have been able to protect her. He didn't though and now she was either dead or would be soon. Along with many others. Which raised the question that maybe it was time to talk to someone with more authority about this ordeal. Technically they were breaking the law holding such vital information. Since when had they become the CIA? It was now a threat to national security, not just to one of their own. It could destroy the country for years, decades, in fact the US may never be restored to the way it was before. Maybe it was time to let other's in on the potential terrorist attack.

Tony knew what was going through Gibbs' mind though. After what happened a few years ago, about ten minutes before he quit and moved to Mexico, the higher authorities let others die right there when it could have been prevented. Gibbs trusted no one but himself, especially when it concerned part of his team as well. This concerned more than team though, it involved family.

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Tony stepped outside taking in a deep breath of cold air and then blowing it out. He knew it must be cold since his breath was showing but he was too numb to care that he didn't have a jacket on. His thoughts all stayed in one place, with one person. It was nice to get out for a minute. The tension was just getting to be too much to take and he was able to get a breath of fresh air in more ways than one. He had no idea what time it was but it must be late. Ducky's Morgan, Abby's Hertz, and McGeek's porsche, along with a few assorted cars of the security guards, was all that was left of the cars in the parking lot. The place was nearly abandoned.

Tony liked thinking about that, a good change of pace. His head was throbbing he noticed, another good sign he hadn't completely lost the thought to think of something else besides his concern for his partner. Would she be okay? He asked himself again, his mind resorting to the same things as before. Oh well at least his head didn't hurt anymore.

Then his thoughts drifted to inside the building. That small little girl had quickly become a huge part of his life. Every night they only grew closer and Hannah became more and more attached. Tony wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but it was good for him. She had called him "Aba." He realized it was a slip of tongue and that she had not actually been fully awake and was not aware of she was saying but still...He had never thought of being and "Aba" never even wanted to be one. After tonight though he did. Not for some random kid though, for Hannah. She needed his love and care so much, it felt good to be so needed and to be able to help so much. That had never been Tony DiNozzo's specialty, but it came so easily with her. He felt that fathering instinct take over. Rarely did people talk about that, it was always more about how after a mother had a baby her instinct kicked in and she knew just how to love and take care of it. For Tony it was like he loved her as soon as she had accepted him. In all his awkwardness and how weird he usually was with kids. Hannah looked right past that and saw him. Just Tony. No jokes to hide behind, no frat boy apparel to keep up, nothing to hide behind. Tony DiNozzo unmasked, and that was how that little girl liked it, how she liked him.

He couldn't elaborate on these thoughts anymore though. Cool metal was being pressed to the side of his head. "Come with us if you want to see Ziva. Alive that is." What an easy decision to make.

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**Okay another chapter and only one day later! I think that deserves some extra reviews don't you? C'mon ya know you want to. Hopefully this chapter was better than the last. I also tried to make it longer but it's not by very much. I'm not sure how I feel about it so let me know what **_**you**_** thought!**


	35. Chapter 35

Tony obliged to the man with the gun to his head, doing as was asked of him. Actually he was rather strangely glad that he was practically being sent to his death. He would much rather be there than to spend all day, and whatever remainder of night, worrying what was going to happen to Ziva. Yes, this was better.

He was led around the corner, the gun now being pressed into his back and leading him in the desired direction. It wasn't the same car though, it was an SUV. Meaning that the BOLO they had out wasn't going to do much when it comes to finding Ziva, well Tony kind of found her already but that wouldn't help much. "Your gun, Agent DiNozzo," the man says holding his hand out expectantly. Tony unwillingly hands him his SIG. "Cellphone," was his next demand and was also relinquished to him as well. Tony knew this man, it was the one that had been following Ziva before. "Knife."

"Not on me," Tony remembers aloud. He would have left his gun too, had it not already been holstered from earlier that day. Well maybe it was the day before now, he did not know, nor did he care. The man checks Tony, making sure he is telling the truth.

"No knife," he confirms to himself. "Breaking a Gibbs Rule?" he asks and Tony is surprised for a moment before remembering what else it was that this man had said. He had clearly stated that he and Ziva had been intimate, perhaps it was in more than one way. If she had been having a relationship with this man than it would not surprise Tony too much to know she had told him of her friends back in DC. "Hands behind your back. Thumbs up," he instructs and Tony does as told. Wincing slightly as the cuffs became just a bit too tight, and then wincing more when they were way more than a bit too tight. Someone needed to teach this guy the proper way to put hand-cuffs on to other people. "Get in."

Tony does as instructed and finds himself next to Ziva. Her eyes were shut and Tony felt everything in his body shut down as he saw her lack of motion. There was no blood but they were Mossad assassins so that did not mean much. He felt his heart restart when he saw her move though and then her eyes opening. _Thank God_. She seemed out of it for a moment until the pieces began to click together in her mind, then a look of absolute horror crossed her face. "We were hoping he would help relieve some of your obstinance to do as asked, Ziva," the man tells her and she shoots him a look. Tony was pretty sure if looks could kill that this man would be slumped back into the passenger side seat with his heart stopped.

"It will help me hate you more, Michael," anger is obvious in her tone but so is exhaustion. He wondered if she was truly that tired or if she had been drugged. Whichever it was she looked ready to slip back into sleep at any moment, but Tony could see her force her eyes back open and staring over at him. "Did they hurt you?" she whispers to him, her eyes small slits that were slowing slipping forward more by the second.

"No harm done," he reassures her, smiling the best he can. "You?"

"I am fine. Is everyone else okay?" Ziva asks opening her eyes as much as she could handle at the moment. She stressed the word _everyone_ and hoped Tony would pick up on it. She was worried for all of them, Gibbs, Abby, McGee, but right now most of her concern was for a certain little girl.

"They were all fine when I left." More like was forcibly removed. Left was a better choice though.

"If you are speaking of Hannah she has not been harmed." This voice came from the driver's seat. It was a man who Tony presumed to be Ziva's father. The thought made his skin crawl.

"Why is she..." Ziva starts but her eyes are shut and her entire body relaxed before she can finish. Definitely drugged.

"Why did you send her here?" Tony asks, finishing the question for Ziva. They were both very grateful for Hannah being brought to them, however they did hope that it was not for a reason that would end badly for her. He could only imagine the hell both them and her would go through if she was sent back to Israel...Or worse.

"Let's just say none of this went as I had planned for it to. Due to her lack of cooperation and your involvement I was forced to make certain decisions. Hannah no longer serves any purpose to be here and if you had not come barging in she never would have stayed here. However I am a man who knows his priorities and she was not one of them. So I left her behind. I will remove her from your custody once I've accomplished what needs to be done."

"Not going to happen, Director David," Tony tells him. If he lived he was going to make damn sure it didn't.

"You are going to stop me?" he says as more of an observation than a question. An observation that was filled with mockery and a bit of a vindictive laugh.

"Nope," Tony says. "Kill you."

"I wish you luck with that," Eli replies, completely ignoring the threat.

When Tony glances out the window he can see just how fast they were going. Ziva had clearly inherited her father's driving skills. Now Tony wasn't sure where he wanted his thoughts to go. They were scattered everywhere. One part of him was screaming to fight and kill, to defend himself and Ziva. Another part of him was focused on Ziva and completely on Ziva, his worry for her very heavy and very real. He was glad to be with her now though, no matter what the consequences may be. He had already decided that, being able to be with her and to know she was safe was such a mind calmer, though it did not relax him too much. He was glad he could watch her sleep and know she was unharmed but he knew what came next.

Now his curiosity had gotten the better of him and he leaned slightly to his left in order to look between the driver's seat and the passenger's and see his desired target. The time. It had been bugging him quite a bit but the other concerns superseded it. 0330, he hadn't really known what time he had suspected it to be but he was surprised at what it was.

His physical needs were becoming more obvious to him; how heavy his eye lids were, how much his head was throbbing, the stiffness of his joints. It was now apparent, not important though. Ziva was important, Hannah was important, surviving was as well. Just not as important as they were. He didn't think anyone or anything was. He sighed and leaned his head back, it would be a long night tied with a long day. There would be no sleep and therefore no way to signify the end of one part to the beginning of another. Night would just become dawn, and perhaps life would turn to death. Tony was surprised at how calmly he sat there thinking of his impending demise. That part of his thoughts must be too far down on the list to matter.

"Why?" Tony suddenly asks. He wanted to know and if he didn't ask he was going to kick himself for the rest of his life, although that may be rather short. An answer was what he wanted.

"Excuse me?" the director questions calmly.

"Why are you doing this."

"I have already told you," he says and sighs deeply, as though that was supposed answer the question. "I have my priorities and I have my duties. Sometimes others need to be sacrificed in order to accomplish what has to be done. Ziva just happens to be one of the others this time around. I figured since she was competent and able, a brilliant asset as well, considering the alliance and trust she holds at NCIS, I thought I would put the rest of her life to good use. I thought it would be good to give my daughter's death meaning. I do not need her in order for this to be accomplished, there are many other routes I could have chosen. However once she discovered my plans I knew I had no choice but to persuade her to my side or kill her. I tried to explain it all and make her understand, she would not comply though. The other option was the only one left.

"The more time Michael and I spent with Ziva the more we learned just how close she was to those at NCIS. She spoke highly of Agent Gibbs and told of how much she cared for Ms. Scuito. She slipped a few times when mentioning McGee saying how he was a dear friend. A certain man with a nick name of Ducky she said was someone I would get along with. She told me that this man had stories I would enjoy very much. Then there was you, Tony. I trained my daughter to hide what she really meant but it was because of the fact that I was the one to have taught her that I knew exactly what that look in her eyes meant. Unfortunately, Agent DiNozzo, I realized she had fallen in love with you. I saw my opportunity when she was explaining to me how she could not betray this, Agent Gibbs.

"I am a resourceful man, I took the power I had now discovered I now had over her by endangering all these that she so treasured and used it to my highest ability. Yes, she is angry with me and that can be understood. In the end though this will end right. She will use the life that was given to her and the abilities she worked long and hard to obtain for a greater cause. It is the absolute best for her. At least the best I can offer her as of now."

"That it?" Tony asks feeling no sense of contentment or even the slightest bit of understanding. He thought maybe this man had at least some reason for what he was doing, although Tony was rather sure it was not a very good reason, but somewhat of a reason nevertheless. His reason was to give his daughter's death purpose! Why not give her life purpose? Why did death have to be brought into this at all?

"What did you expect?"

"Nothing that makes sense," Tony tells him when he rethinks just what it was he wanted to know. He had wanted to know why Ziva had to die, no reason was good enough for that. "You just confirmed what I already knew."

"Which is?" Eli questions. He was rather interested in how up front and blunt this man was. No wonder he held a certain place for his daughter. It was a very admirable quality.

"That your a sick self-absorbed bastard." Truthful was very good.

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"Anything?" Gibbs questions Abby as he stares over her shoulder to the computer she was standing at. The letters and numbers scrolling by made no sense to him but he couldn't tear his eyes from the screen.

"Got it!" Abby exclaims happily.

"Where are they?" he asks reading the address off of the screen before Abby could say anything. They were moving still, to God knows where. It had been a smart move, following his gut usually tended in his favor. Tony hadn't questioned when Gibbs had asked him to put a GPS tracker in his shoe. Tony was sure to be a major target and walking outside of the more protective walls of NCIS headquarters was sure to leave a hole in his defense system. Of course Eli would take advantage of that, he was a man who took whatever opportunity he had and put it to his greatest use. Eli taking away another of his agents most certainly gave him an advantage. However, Gibbs sending his agent to be kidnapped and having him hold the one way to find them all, that was even more devious. "We ever get a final count on how many men were involved?" The movement stopped, leaving them in stationary in one place.

"Um," McGee says quickly doing a mental count. "At least five. Maybe more."

"C'mon, go grab your gear," he tells the junior agent who gives him a look of disbelief.

"What? Boss, you-you can't be serious."

"I am. Go grab your gear," Gibbs repeats giving McGee a look that left nothing up to questioning.

"Gibbs," Abby says her voice fearful and her eyes wide. "Don't do this," she demands of him. He wasn't about to go running off into the mine field and get himself blown up. She wasn't going to let him, and McGee, go get themselves killed.

"Have to, Abby," he tells her and leans over giving her a kiss on the cheek. "No choice. Not anymore."

"You're out numbered," she reminds him. Hoping to use logic to make him understand and realize the common sense of the situation. "Five to two."

"One target, Abbs. Only one." And with that he turned and left.

"Don't get yourself killed, Timmy!" Abby instructs him, pulling him into a hug. "And bring Tony and Ziva and Gibbs back safe too. Okay?"

"Yeah, Abby. I will," _I hope_ he adds silently. Tim turns as he hears his name being called from his boss and the familiar "Ding" of the elevator meaning it was waiting for the passengers to load. "See you soon."

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**Will he? Will any of them? Hmm you're going to have to review to find out. Sorry this was intended to be up earlier today but my darn internet went out. I know its short but the next will be longer and with much more action in it. Thanks for reading and have a great day :)**


	36. Chapter 36

Ziva did not think she had ever felt such a strong form of hatred towards someone. How could her father do such a horrendous thing to her? She had been dealing with the anger and the hatred for quite sometime now but this brought it to a whole different level. She felt as though she were one of those cartoons with the smoke coming out of her ears and her eyes red. There were times when she had been so completely positive that she would not feel anymore hate towards this man than she did in that moment but this one won over them all. This time in this moment there was nothing Ziva David wanted to do more than to kill him. She wanted to take her own chafed and sore hands and kill this man. He was the epitome of evil, he could even be called evil. This man had become the entropy of her life, destruction of everything, and she had finally reached her breaking point. However her father was a damned smart man who, unfortunately, raised her to be able to overcome any situation. Except his of course.

Ziva had also never been much for regret. Things happened for a reason, it was a cliche but it was true. She believed the choices she made brought her to where she was today and formed the woman she had become. That was not something she would ever regret. Right here, right now though she regretted ever informing NCIS of what had been going on these past few months. She took back every desire she had previously held for them to know and wished, oh so deeply prayed, that she could go back in time and protect them. There must have been a better way than to leave all of them in this dire and terrifying end situation. Tony was soon to face his own death because of her. She did not know how he would be killed, and she did not know when the murder would take place. She did know that he would die though. When Director Eli David wanted a man dead that specific person's life was over before the bearded lady could sing, or whatever that ridiculous expression was.

She knew Tony did not regret it though, she hated that fact. He would most likely rather die than be kept out of the loop for too long. Tony liked being well informed and he enjoyed snooping in other people's cheese wax. That's was one of the reasons he made such a good agent. Of course she knew that it would have not all been totally fine if she had not let anyone in on her father's intentions. There must have been a better way than this though. A better way than to have everyone of which she loved having the possibility of losing their life. She could have insisted that she would not keep the secret, that she would rat him out. He would have surely killed her then and there if that had happened. She could have told someone else, let it be there problem instead of forcing it upon those around here. It seemed that no matter what decision she could have made or no matter where this could have gone she would still regret something, she would still feel the guilt from whoever lost their life due to this sick man's hatred. That was another thing Ziva did not understand. She knew once her father had decided on something that was it, no going back or changing his mind. But just what was it that made him choose to take such drastic and permanent measures. She hated him.

Now she opened her eyes, they had stayed shut before. Although the drugs had worn off she was still tired so she kept her eyes closed even though reality kept her from sleeping. An extreme feeling of de ja vu came over her. She had been in the exact situation only a few short weeks ago. Same room, same people watching her, hell even the chair looked the same. Only difference was that someone far more important was sitting next to her. He had been unrightfully dragged into all of this. There were differences now though, besides Tony being with her though. Before hope had burned, it was a small flame but it was there, now it was complete darkness. Also last time Hannah had been not far away, she had still been in harm then. That was most definitely the best thing that had come from all of this, Hannah was safe and happy and loved for. Ziva knew that no matter what happened to her, or even Tony, that Hannah would be safe. Gibbs would watch out for her, he could raise. He would do an amazing job and make Hannah even stronger. Hannah had already led a hard life, those things would haunt her forever. Strength would be a necessity to her.

She dared a look at Tony, he was next to her not behind her. She was glad he was closer than the last time they had been in a hostage situation. It seemed like an eternity ago, heck last Tuesday seemed like an eternity ago. He wasn't hurt, for that she was very grateful. He smiled at her and she felt guilt rush through her. She was taking that smile away from the rest of the world. Ziva just stared back, unable and unwilling to smile back at him. Next she decides to see who it is that is watching her at the moment. She could feel the eyes but was unaware as to who they belonged to. Even with the extreme slow motion her head was turning at she still felt exhausted from the action. What kind of drug had she taken? It took her eyes a minute to refocus once she was staring in the desired direction. Just as she knew and feared. It was him of course. Everybody's favorite killer father.

"Ah, Ziva, good to see you finally awake," he says as he gets up from the chair he had been sitting in across from her and Tony, no more than ten feet away, and walks over to them. "I did not know it would have this much affect on you," he says clearly referring to the drug that still had her woozy.

"You know nothing," is her response. He knew many things of course, things that she did not perceive possible of him to be knowledgeable of. However the ways of the mind, of her mind and the truth of her feelings towards him. He did not know these things. If he did there would be know way that he would approach her. She would never come towards anyone who had such vial thoughts towards her, no matter what the relationship to them may be.

"I do not?" he questions, his voice staying light and carefree. "I knew you had not obeyed me. I knew consequences must be brought about for your actions. I knew that Agent DiNozzo here would not put a fight to coming. I know that this-" he stops grabbing Tony's neck. "Makes you hurt."

Ziva does not breath again until she sees her father's hand move from Tony. "Lech ata!" she yells loudly to him.

"Ah, bat you know I do not like such vulgar language. Words can be just as hurtful as actions," he tells her and returns to his seat, much to Ziva's relief.

"If that were true you would be on the ground with your tongue dolled out to the side."

"Lolled," Tony corrects. "Lolled out to the side."

"Not the time, Tony," she snaps at him. Honestly though it was a relief to hear his annoying correction. He did not hate her, not as she hated herself. It was strange though, she wanted him to hate her. It would only be right, but at the same time she could not stand such a thing if he did. Ugh the drugs were toying with her brain in more than one way. Now she could not even think coherently.

Eli laughs from his seat, "Perhaps that may be so, Ziva," he says truthfully. Maybe he was not so oblivious of her hatred set towards him. "Perhaps it may be so."

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"Um, uh, Boss you wanna slow down?" McGee asks as the speed of the car continues to increase. Not only did he hate it when Gibbs drove fast but he wasn't in any hurry to get to their destination either.

As some sort of statement Gibbs presses down on the gas harder, "Nope."

"You turn left in, ah, well, now," McGee says trying hard to concentrate on the GPS coordinance and not let motion sickness get the best of him all at the same time. Not to mention that the increased speed added to the difficulty of navigation quite a bit. Who knew ten miles could go by in four minutes? McGee could have sworn Gibbs didn't even bother to check before suddenly spinning the wheel harshly to the left. "Then we turn right in two miles," he says and swallows hard. They were getting really close. "Well, one now."

This was much too familiar for Gibbs' liking. Only now he was trying to save two of his agent's lives as opposed to one and instead of his senior field agent next to him he had McGee. Gibbs thought McGee was a great agent but he needed to toughen up a little. Last thing he needed were complaints about his speed and directions to a place he already knew to get. A little bourbon would be nice though. "I got it, McGee," he says as he whips in to a parking spot not far from the warehouse.

"Boss, we really gonna do this?"

"What do you want us to do, McGee? Wait at NCIS until we need to grab two body bags?" Gibbs was frustrated. Anyone could see that and anyone should be able to understand that. "If you can't handle this then by all means stay in the damn car. If you can though then get your ass moving!"

"I'm not scared it's just..." he stops short with hesitation. He felt bad and didn't want Gibbs to look down upon him but he must understand fear to some sort of an extent. "We're outnumbered, and we don't know what's already happened. We haven't been able to communicate with Tony or Ziva and-"

"It's simple, McGee," Gibbs says. "We shoot. Our marks die. I have a main target. Leave him for me."

"You mean to you, right?"

"Yeah, sure," It wouldn't be good if his only agent left at the moment had a panic attack.

"And who do I go after?"

"The first person you see." Should be simple enough for him to follow. "Just not Tony or Ziva," he clarifies.

McGee took a breath, he didn't do well in high stress situations. "Okay, I can do this," he says more for his benefit than anything else.

Both grabs their guns as they get out of the car. Pointing them down as they run over to the desired building. "Be careful." Gibbs hears Abby whisper from his earwig. He locks eyes with McGee and they give each other a confirming nod. This would be simple. One main shot, one main kill. If they got him down the worst would be over. None of this would ever be recreated with him dead. There could be ten other men in there, one of them could get hurt. One of them could get killed. This was it though. This was how it was going to end. Whether it be good or bad. Life or death. It was happening now. The planning was no longer of importance, the scheming a waste of time. They were doing this blind because it was what they had to do. Tony had told Gibbs his rule number one and Gibbs agreed with it now more than ever.

Gibbs opened the door slightly, peering in without drawing attention to himself. God he wished he had his sniper at the moment, that would have helped, but his SIG would get the job done just as well. He sees his target, the man who he has come to hate with everything in him. Every bit of hate he had had left was all stored up and set towards this man. And now, revenge.

_I don't sit on the sidelines when my people are in trouble. _And tonight Gibbs wouldn't.

He opens the door. The beginning, the end. All in one moment.

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**The end for who though? That's the million dollar question, or maybe the million review question since its a fan fictioners only payment. Apologies for shortness but clearly I couldn't continue on from there. Cliff hangers are much too much fun. Also there wasn't much action like I had originally intended for there to be. I had a review of someone saying they wanted a close up on some of Ziva's thoughts which was a good idea so I put it in. Hope they were okay... Let me know what you think and have a great day :)**


	37. Chapter 37

Eli sat, playing with his knife much like his daughter commonly did. He was still contemplating on whether an execution was going to be necessary tonight, or if he would be able to hold it off until the mission was completed tomorrow. His daughter continued to share looks with Agent DiNozzo, it was rather interesting to watch the two interact. They were so silent yet it looked like they were having an entire conversation. He had never seen such a thing. His daughter had clearly developed feelings for this man, one of the reasons he allowed him to sit next to his daughter. It was a great aid in her cooperation. Had he not had this ability he would have killed her many hours ago. She would not participate in anything he had been trying to do before Tony had come. No doubt his daughter would have killed herself before strapping the bomb on and willingly going to that dinner. It upset him that she no longer felt true loyalty to Mossad. He had raised her to be strong and defend her country. Never did he think she would change the country that she protected. His sharp end of the spear had switched around and was now ready to stab him. That was one of the reasons that this had all begun.

The more his daughter had talked to Michael the more he knew her love and trust was in DC at NCIS. He had discovered that she had been the one who killed his son, his mole. He had found out that she was thinking, feeling, hoping, loving, trusting, not the right people and not the right way. The more he heard the more he knew it was only a matter of time. He had hope though, the longer she stayed in Israel the less she was talking about those back in DC. When she had realized his intentions and plans he knew it was over. Her first point was that she could not betray NCIS like that. He knew it was over right from there, he would not be able to persuade her from them. When she was called back to NCIS, a personal request from one of his friends, and current target, he was hesitant to let her go for what he was sure was going to be revealed. That's when he began scheming though and the more he thought about it the more sense it made. He had created the perfect plan and still held a back-up plan, simple and automatic death. It did not surprise him in the least when she told though, he had seen it coming all along. His daughter's dedication to NCIS was so very obvious even a blind man could see it and the deaf could hear it.

She was his last child, his last attempt of the perfect officer. Ari had been making him proud for many years until he had become angry and resentful. The boy held too much of his mother's fire in him. However Eli still believed that he would make a brilliant mole. Then his son betrayed every agency on the East, and then he was dead. Eli had seen that coming, someone would catch up to him eventually. Tali was a failure from the start, too sweet, too caring, too cute, too admiring, too busy looking for the kind to see the evil. He had hoped the death of her mother would toughen the child up. It did nothing but make her weaker though. The bomb blast...It was Not planned but when he learned of it he did not hold the desire to prevent her death, so he did not. He had held so much hope in his eldest daughter, his Ziva. She had been trained well and was passionate about the missions she was on. That was the best thing she could believe in. Allowing her to go to NCIS had been his worst mistake, Eli believed. It softened her up to, emotions became important to her, and hardened her to him and Mossad.

Eli loved his children, despite what some people may think of him. He was trying to raise them to be strong so they would be able to survive in this cold, hard world. Mossad was the obvious choice for them, they would be a part of something big and their deaths would have meaning. That had not worked for his first two, but for Ziva he very well could have had that opportunity. His daughter had made him proud in the past, made him believe she would be strong enough to reach all that he had envisioned for his children. Now she had lost that ability. There was no way she would be resolute to make it. It made him sad that his only child left would be another let down. All he had aspired for his children was lost.

Hannah was nothing but the result of the misuse of a contraceptive. A rather inconvenient mistake. Ari had never known of her and Eli was just going to ignore the child. Her ima died though so he handed her over to a woman, the two of them had plans for Hannah, bigger plans than Eli had ever bothered making for his children. The woman he had given her to was an ally and owed him a favor. She unhappily took the baby and she and her mother were to raise Hannah until she was old enough to accomplish what her father had failed at doing. Her father was half-Arabian, her mother full. It would be brilliant. Eli hoped things would have changed somewhat by the time she was older though, he hated redundant things. Hannah was seeming too much like Tali at the moment though. He was sure she would toughen with age but he may have to start caring for her in order for that to happen. She was left with her savta too much, that woman did not know how to discipline correctly.

Eli smiled over at his daughter. Ziva glared back, best she could, in response. She was currently working unknotting her ropes. It was going rather well to her surprise. Of course it had probably been an hour since she started. The hand cuffs would be a bit trickier without her normal lock picking tools. Tony had pulled a paper clip out of his back pants pocket which would have to do. She could not help but smile when she remembered when she had threatened his life with a paper clip. Tony seemed to remember that too as he smiled back.

Michael walked in, along with another man from the car. Aron, she believed his name to be. Eli stood up and set the knife down on the chair. He turned and walked over to the men, speaking in rapid Hebrew to them. Ziva did not bother to listen though. She was much too busy loosing the last knot on the rope, lose enough so she could easily take it off when the time called for it but tight enough so that it did not fall to the floor. Next were the cuffs, slowly she pulled the paper clip so that the end was long and easy to maneuver. She began playing with the lock, twisting the paper clip this way and that. She and Tony heard the click, it echoed some, and her breath hitched. Tony began to cough, not overly done, just right. She flashed him a grateful smile as the three men's attentions were drawn back to their conversation. Now came the hard part on figuring out how to do three things at once. Get up from her seat, grab the knife, and attack. All without attracting the attention of the three Mossad agents and killing all three of them before they had the reflexes quick enough to grab their guns and delivering a nine-mil to her head...Well at least she had accomplished one more thing before her death.

Tony looked at her, signaling her with his eyes. _Are you going to do something?!_ They practically seemed to scream. He could see the "No" in her eyes. _I understand. I'd rather you didn't anyways. _Of course he did. He was totally okay with dieing it seemed, that really urkled her.

That's when it all started happening. Just as she had been replying with annoyed eyes she saw Director David's head whip around and then all three of the men dodge. Her eyes immediately searched to find what had startled them so much. Then they found it. Gibbs? McGee? How? When? She didn't have time to think though. Too much was happening too quick for that.

Guns were drawn and all were taking guard. Eli jumped up first and began shooting, not letting fear hold him back. Gunshots were loud and echoing, and Ziva didn't hesitate in getting up from the chair and grabbing the knife. Life or death, now or never; she chose life and now. Someone went down. Aron was first, McGee had successfully double tapped him in the chest. Then she saw Gibbs shoot at Eli, missing him by a few inches as the man dodged and Michael was the receiver of four bullets to the chest.

Then it happened. One of the many, many things she had feared. Gibbs was shot, falling immediately. McGee was quickly trying to reload his gun but his hands were shaking causing it to be more difficult. "Ziva!" Gibbs screamed to her, waking her from thoughts and forcing her to refocus. She dodged in time to be missed by one of her father's bullets. She dropped her knife and crawled over to Gibbs' gun. The moment was short, not like she had imagined it. Her father's eyes and gun were trained on her. This moment, one she had been expecting and waiting for, it was not as she had imagined. She had not expected to be laying on a cold floor with blood seeping out of Gibbs' shoulder. It was not supposed to be her job to take out her father, a brother had been enough. She scrambled to her feet and ran behind some boxes, taking shelter, trying to prolong the moment. She saw what was happening though, her father turned his gun to Tony. Immediately she pulled the trigger watching simultaneous actions happened. The trigger was pulled from her father's gun, Tony had swerved his weight causing the chair to fall to the left and her aba lay motionless on the ground with blood slowly pooling out and forming around his head. She dropped the gun, the item suddenly felt foreign in her hand, and then she collapsed.

The door opened again, on the other side as two more of her father's men came in. Both were taken out by McGee. Then somehow, she didn't know how nor did she care, Tony was at her side. She did not cry, no tears would be cried at this moment, she just stayed on the ground her legs not able to hold her up at this moment. She did not know what to do. She did not know what to think. Her breathing was short and raspy as it came in and out, loud too. She did not know why she was breathing through er mouth but it was making a strange noise, like gasping for air that she couldn't properly fill her lungs with. Tony placed his arm around her shoulders, now greatly concerned for Ziva as she began to shake violently. It seemed to bring her back though. She lifted her head up," Gibbs," she said and her eyes scanned the room until they found what they had been looking for. The man who was always strong, never hurt was still on ground with McGee hovering over him and placing his jacket to Gibbs' wound. His left shoulder had been shot, but he seemed to be okay as he complained to McGee that he better get off of him now. The junior field agent didn't oblige though.

"He'll be fine. He's had a lot worse," Tony assured her. She needed to relax some. "A couple ambulances are on the way. We'll get you both to the hospital."

"I am f-" she starts to say but sees no point in it. Ziva buries her face in her hands for a moment before pulling them away and wiping the non-existent tears. "Are you okay?" she says instead. No point in starting the lies again.

"I'm gonna have one hell of a bruise but aside from that I'll be fine." Ziva opens her mouth to ask of McGee but Tony answers before she can ask. "Probie's fine. Clearly he's being having a lot of target practice. Kid did good."

"Yes," she agrees not capable of much else at the moment.

"Abby might have a panic attack though. I think she'll be at the hospital before any of us will."

Normally Ziva would have smiled at that. She was too numb to smile right now. She would go through the cycles and then maybe she could start to feel again. It was going to start with a lot of hurt though. "You are bleeding," she observes, pointing to his torn shirt sleeve and the small amount of blood that was coming from his cut.

"I'm fine. A little blood leakage never hurt anyone."

Ziva sighed. Her mind didn't want to start sorting things out right now, she wanted to sleep. "I am sorry, Tony." That was one thing she needed to say to everyone as much as possible.

"Its over, Ziva. Its all over," he reminds her and she is glad the first emotion back is happiness, however short lived it may have been. They hear the sirens and sit silence as they grow closer. It may not have ended well. It may leave quite few scars, both physical and emotional. It was finished. They could breath, soon enough at least. Survival had been accomplished, it had ended and it had ended the right way. He knew that for sure as he felt Ziva's warm live body next to him, saw Gibbs' tired and irritated eyes from across the room and heard McGee trying to reassure Abby. It was over, it was good, it was sad, it was broken, it was hurt, it was life, and it never got better than that.

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**Thirty-six chapters, 90,000 words and this is how it is resolved...Seems rather anti-climatic. Actually I think I hate this chapter the most out of all of them. That's saying a lot. Let me know your thoughts, pretty please. I love reviews and they've been lacking. Now I'm not one to beg but could you all please just leave something, anything, to tell me what you thought? It makes my day, literally. I get all smiley when I have an inbox filled with reviews. **

**I was actually originally going to take the weekend off...That worked out well. There are still a couple chapters left and maybe an epilogue. I haven't made up my mind yet. I hope you liked this crappy piece I'm falsely labeling a chapter. Have a good day :)**


	38. Chapter 38

"Oh my God. Oh my God," Abby cried as she solitarily walked into the hospital, an insane amount of de ja vu washing over her from this moment. It was different this time. No one had been blown up, no one would retire, at least she was pretty sure of that fact. McGee had called her as soon as Gibbs and Ziva were in the ambulances and on their way to the hospital. He had barely gotten out the words of "Gibbs" and "Shot" before she started becoming hysterical. She had practically driven like Gibbs in her haste to get down to the hospital. She hated visiting hospitals. They meant that someone was sick or hurt. Abby could not stand it when someone in her family had been injured. You never know when an injury can turn to death and that thought scared her more than any other possibility. Unfortunately she had lived through her biggest fear more than once. "Tony!" she yells throwing her arms around him, feeling relief even though his body was tense. "How's Gibbs? Where's McGee? Is Ziva okay?" she needed to know about all three, all right now.

"They're both fine, Abbs. McGee went to get some latte crap," he told her the weariness evident in his voice.

"But he said Gibbs was shot!" she exclaims. That wasn't, by any extent of the imagination, fine.

"He was. Nothing major though. He's getting bandaged up and he'll be just fine." Tired, weak, so much more. Where was Probie when you needed him?

"No, he's not he has a bullet hole in him!" she protested but then her mind flashed to someone else on the team. "What about Ziva? Where's she?"

"X-Rays. A lot of 'em." Tony's own thoughts were so far from the conversation, just as they had been for so long now. That hadn't changed. He still had too many questions, and he really wished Gibbs would be finished soon. He wasn't completely sure of what they were saying had happened and how and why the director of Mossad had been killed by NCIS. Explaining it to Vance was not going to be simple...They could very possibly all lose their jobs and what would Ziva do about the liason position at NCIS? Who was taking over her father's position? Not to mention that he didn't think he'd slept in well over two days. They may have terminated the biggest threat, their lives may no longer be at a constant danger, however this was not over. Perhaps it never would be.

"Is she okay though?"

He knew she was asking about the physical attributes, not the emotional. "Far as I know." That was rather true, no one had bothered to tell him much of anything since they'd gotten to the hospital. She was sure to have some bumps and bruises, hell she's Ziva David she always does, but the rest of her had seemed rather okay. Functioning at the very least. He had seen the indecision in her eyes, the regret, the pain. He could not blame her. Never should the life, or death, of her father been thrusted into her undertaking. It was never supposed to be her job. She was supposed to distract, to follow her father's instructions perfectly on the morning of her appointed death and help them by using some of the code words. It was their job, his, Gibbs and McGee's, to take them out. Never her's, it never should have been. He felt bad that the task had fallen on her shoulders, guilty she was trapped into taking her father's life.

"Where's Hannah?" Tony asks. Last he knew Ducky had to go get the bodies at the warehouse and Palmer was helping...That left Vance and strangers. She'd better not be with either.

"Jimmy stayed behind while Ducky got the bodies. That way Hannah could sleep," she informs him.

"You left her with the autopsy gremlin?" Great, just great. "She wakes up in the night a lot, gets worried easily."

"She'll be fine, Tony," Abby promises him. She didn't expect to ever see Tony attached to a child like this. He'd never been big with kids but Hannah had seemed nearly instantly attached to him and vice versa. "It's nearly morning anyway."

"Maybe I'll run down to NCIS really quick and pick her up," he pondered the idea to himself aloud. He'd feel better and so would she. Palmer wasn't exactly capable of comforting small children. Putting his foot in his mouth, most certainly. Providing security for a small, helpless and scared girl , not even close.

"I can call Jimmy," she offered seeing that it was inevitable that Hannah would get here one way or another. This way Tony wouldn't have to leave. "He's just waiting back at NCIS."

Tony was torn for a second but saw Ziva walk to the reception desk. They must finally be done with her. She had bandages wrapped around both of her wrists and was carrying a piece of paper, most likely a prescription. "Yeah, Abby. Thanks," he tells her and walks away. Probie was walking down the hall, returning from his coffee run, so she'd have someone to keep her company, and help when she started hyperventilating. He approaches Ziva, her eyes move slightly from the paper she is writing on to confirm her suspicion on who was next to her. "You okay?"

She takes a breath, releasing it slowly, before answering. "Not," she pauses for a split second as she sees Abby, who had just hung up the phone, coming towards her. "Really," she finishes before being engulfed in a hug.

"I was so worried," Abby explains as though Ziva could not already tell by the resisting arms around her. "Are you okay? He didn't hurt you right?" she questions and finally lets go of Ziva.

"No, Abby. I am fine," she did not want to worry anyone else too much more. She already knew she looked like a wreck which made everyone concerned enough. She did not feel like dealing with that at the moment though. She was tired, weak, numb. However she would keep herself together, for them she would hold her head up for a little while longer. She would be fine, she knew she would, they knew she would, but time was something that would be necessary in the equation of her healing. Until then she would just do her best to pretend. She had been trained for that, it would not be hard.

"I'm so sorry, Ziva."

"Thank you, but it is not necessary." It really was not. She did not want apologies, they would change nothing. Not now, now it was over. As was Ari's death and that moment was still alive and painfully memorable. It was not over, never forgotten, forever a memory just like the others. It could not be buried, could not be erased, that moment would not leave. It would be there, like cooking with her Ima, playing with Tali, the praise from her Aba when she did something correctly, Ari's hugs. Such as watching the building Tali was in explode, hearing of her mother's death, losing the child she never got to know or see, feeling her finger pulling the trigger on her brother. She could try and forget but they would always be there. This was just one more. She had recovered from the rest, she would from this as well. Her entire family, gone, wiped out. All except for her. Her father had killed half and she the other. It made her sick to think about.

"What can I do to help?" she asks frantically. Ziva was not okay, not even close.

"Go and see Gibbs," she replies. It was a distraction for Abby which would give Ziva at least a good twenty minutes to recollect herself. "He is still being bandaged but the doctor said you two could go back and see him."

Abby did not immediately run out as expected but stayed for a minute to hug Ziva again. "I'm glad you're safe," she said sincerely. "Come on, McGee," and McGee follows Abby as she pushes the heavy door open and disappears behind it.

"How's Gibbs?" Tony questions both for his and Ziva's sake.

"He will be fine. Stuck at his desk for a couple months, but no permanent damage was done."

"Course not. He's Gibbs," Tony states plainly, as though the answer had been obvious from the beginning. The boss was always fine, it never completely made the worry go away though. Cats get nine lives, how many did Gibbs get? One day he wasn't gonna make it...Well, actually probably not but it was still a concern. Ziva turns and walks towards the waiting room, Tony following behind, and takes a seat, resting her head back on the wall. "Hannah will be here soon," he tells her. Another distraction, both wanted to avoid a rather inevitable conversation. He wanted to get her mind off of the whole thing, in fact.

"And we are telling her?" Ziva questions. So many things the needed to know, so many plans they had to map out. Where did things go from here? Was she still a liason officer? Would she be forced back into Mossad? Did they have to lie about what had happened? If so to who? Vance? Hannah? Mossad? Everyone? Would it be believed? Did they have a story for others to believe yet? Would she still be accompanying Director Vance to the dinner tomorrow? Was the threat completely removed? Had they gotten all of her father's men? Where was the bomb? How would they explain the crime scene? Would all of their careers be in danger? Could this possibly still affect those she had strived so hard to protect?

What about Hannah? Could she protect her? Was she supposed to raise her? Was she even capable of doing so? Did Hannah even want her to? What would happen if Ziva did have to return to Israel? She did not want Hannah back there. From what she had heard the circumstances had been horrible for her there. Ziva did not want that. She wanted love and care and tenderness to be felt in Hannah's life. She did not want even a resemblance of her childhood to be such as Hannah's anymore. She had not known of her before and therefore could not protect her. She knew now. She would help now. She would love her as much as she could now, that would be an easy task, however. A few hours and Hannah had managed to make Ziva's heart melt. She hoped that a lifetime would continue with getting to know her and love her even more.

"She already knew things were bad, like I told you. I don't know what we're telling anyone right now," Tony admits trying to force his eyes to stay open and his mind to function correctly. A bed sounded so good right now. A shower was probably in order as well considering how bad he most likely smelled. In curiosity he took a whiff of his shirt, definitely should be marked as a nuclear weapon. "You okay?" he asks again as they sat in silence.

Ziva lifts her head from the wall, it was just hurting her already sore neck. "I am not even sure yet. Everything is so crazy, there are so many thoughts and questions. I have not had the chance to be...Upset yet," she answers truthfully. That was her goal, to be truthful. She wanted to admit her insecurities and stop hiding behind her Mossad assassin tactics. Tony deserved the truth and she really wanted him to have it. He had gained her trust, she would prove that to him.

"You look tired," he tells her, taking in her recked appearance. The hair that had been straight before her second disappearance had regained its curl and her clothes were rumpled and bloody. Dark circles formed under her eyes, all traces of the makeup she had used to cover her exhausted expression gone.

In response Ziva slowly lowers her head down onto his shoulder. She was tired. Sure she had slept due to the influence of the drug but it was not the right kind of sleep. She needed the rest and peace. Her body begged for honest rest, desired to shut off both physically and mentally. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, calm. Just for a second, a passing moment of serenity, but it was there and she treasured it, clung to the sweet feeling. "I do not think I even remember the last time I ate," she says randomly, to him, but it made sense as felt the obvious feeling of hunger in the pit of her stomach.

"Want to get something to eat?"

"Hannah," she reminds him. "I want to wait for Hannah." Her eyes stayed closed and she did not bother to work up the energy to continue on anymore. She allowed her body to relax, her muscles to release the tight contracting feeling they had held, as though before they were preparing to fight. Now they were settling in for rest, the threat was gone for now. What seemed like only the shortest moment later she felt her shoulder being poked lightly.

"Hey," Tony whispers, hating to wake her up but knowing it was necessary.

"Mm?" That was close to "What?" or at least as close as she would be getting right now.

"Some one's wanting to talk to you," he tells her as Hannah stands in front of them, watching with question in her eyes. Why did they look so bad? How comes there was blood on their close? It made her worried.

"Tomorrow," she slurs the word out. Tired, peaceful sleep, she was not letting go of this until she absolutely had to.

"Technically it is..."

"Ziva?" Hannah asks quietly, the small voice bringing Ziva clearly back into reality.

She forces her eyes open and unwillingly lifts her head. The terror in the child's eyes makes her realize just how horrific she must look. The eyes quickly shade to a different expression, one she had seen much too often and was rather surprised to see in someone so small and young, concern. She should know by now that Hannah would always surprise her. She was clearly intelligent beyond her years.

Hannah takes a tentative step forward and Ziva automatically opens her arms. It was such an easy and warm gesture. Ziva was not much of a hugger but she happily wrapped her arms around the small girl, pulling her into her lap.

"Ma shlom ech?" Hannah was happy to use her home language. The words always rolled so easily off of her tongue, she did not have to think so hard before speaking. It was effortless, simple.

"Lo ko cha tov," Ziva replies and Tony smiles at the words. He had no clue what they meant, but they sounded so pretty and fluid.

Hannah runs her fingers over the bandages that were wrapped around Ziva's wrists. "Do they hurt?" she asks, switching over to English.

"Not so much anymore," in fact Ziva had not really noticed much of the physical pain. Too much to sort through, too much to deal with. Again. Still.

Once again Hannah had seemed to easily fit into another's life, become such a huge importance in such a small amount of time. This was the first chance Ziva had really had of talking to her. Sure she had watched a movie with her but that was mostly watching Hannah and Tony interact. That and worrying about all that was going on. Now it was like the end of a race. You had trained for months and worked hard to get to a certain goal, now its over, finished. You're winded and exhausted and maybe you've reached your goal or perhaps you fell short. It was over though, all that work and practice, done. It was a relief but in the same way not. It was like you were too busy recollecting your thoughts to know what it was like.

"I am sorry," Hannah says guiltily. She yawns, lack of sleep catching up to her as well. The last time she had slept through the night...Well it'd been a while. Plus she was up until late and awake early. She would not worry about herself right now though. Ziva was not good and Hannah wanted to help her. She would make Ziva feel better first and then she could sleep.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Hannah," Tony immediately intercepts, feeling a little bad for getting in between the two but he knew that Hannah had a tendency to blame herself for mistakes that were not hers. Then the girl's tenacity made it rather difficult to convince her otherwise.

"I make you sad," she states as though it were obvious.

"Where did you get that idea?" Ziva asks, beating Tony to the punch.

"I can see yous are sad, and I listen more. When I listen, I learned."

"Not any of this, not even the slightest bit, is your fault," Ziva corrects her. If only she knew how much she meant, how important she had become to both her and Tony. "Nor has a single thing to do with you made me sad. You have made us very happy."

"I am no good," she persists, trying to convince them that she was the bad guy. "I am tipesh. I do no right."

"Hannah," Tony says, reaching his arms out. She pulls herself from Ziva's arms and settles in to Tony's lap. He always let her rest her head, it made it so much harder to stay awake. "You're very important to me," he stops not quite sure where to go from there. For one he was terrible at this sort of thing, always had been, and two he didn't want to screw it up. Say the wrong thing or make her get the wrong idea. She'd become his daughter, that was the easiest and most simple way to put it. In a short amount of time she had become his little girl. One he would fight for, go to the ends of the earth to prove that he cared about her. "And you are very smart. Smarter than me I think," he says and laughs a little at the memory of the many times this little girl had blown his mind with how wise she was. "I love spending time with you and hearing what you have to say. You are very, very special to me and to many others."

"Ani rah me'od," she continues. Stubborn child.

"I love you very much," he tells her.

"Why are you sending me way then?"

"What?" Tony asks her, the word following from Ziva before he had finished. "Who told you that?"

"I listen. 'Member? I always hear truths when I listen with none knowing. When they knowing they lie lots."

"Do you believe I'll tell you the truth?" Tony asks and Hannah nods in confirmation.

"You never lies to me. I trust you."

"Well good because I need to tell you something you aren't going to know you can believe," he lets her know. Perhaps warning her that she's gonna be stubborn would make it easier. "Can you trust me?" She nods again, lifting her head and giving him a very questioning look. "You're staying here, with me. No matter what happens or whatever anyone else says. Got it?"

"Why?"

"Why what, Hannah?"

"Why do you want me?" The sadness is apparent in her voice. She had never had anyone want her before had she?

"As long as you want, I'll be here."

"Promise?" she asks carefully, measuring the word heavily.

He remembered when she had asked the same thing, in Hebrew that time. Making him promise to come back. Now he would promise not to leave her, to be her aba for many years to come. The word held a much different meaning this time. "Promise."

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Sorry there was a bit of a wait on this one guys. Thank you all so so much for your reviews! I was really happy to see how many there actually were so thank you guys so very much. It means a lot! Hopefully the chapter was okay, there are still a couple left. Don't worry I'm not going to leave any lose ends that shouldn't be there. Please keep up the reviews they made me so happy :) Have a great week!


	39. Chapter 39

Ziva sighed as she collapsed into her office chair, burying her head in her hands. She did not want to be sitting in a swivel chair at her job. She wanted to be home relaxing on her couch with a certain someone next to her and a place for Hannah to sleep. Ziva could swear the child was going to pass out soon. She wanted to go home, she needed to talk things out. Yes, it was very unlikely for her to want to talk to someone about what was going on but she needed to start sorting things out. Everything was just so confusing and coming on so quickly right now that it made it hard to have a coherent thought.

Gibbs was upstairs briefing Vance, then hopefully he'd explain to the rest of them what happened in order for them to keep up the consistency. Ziva did know, that as of right now, it was Gibbs who had killed her father. It was like some sort of sick joke that this was happening again. Whoever said history repeats itself was not kidding. Someone had said that right? Tony and McGee took turns in asking if she was okay. Abby came up frequently, even though she had quite a few things she was in charge of testing from the warehouse, checking on her to make sure she and the others were okay.

Hannah was sitting next to Ziva and had been previously coloring a picture but after about twenty minutes had curled up in the chair and plopped her head on the arm rest. It did not look very comfortable at all. It was 1500h hours by the time they had gotten back to the office, and it was now close to 1700h. They were all hungry, over worked and to the point of exhaustion.

Vance was furious, of course. Ziva had known that before he had even opened his mouth. He didn't understand how anything could have come to this. He didn't know what had happened, and he never would. The most he would know is the story they told him and that would be one of pure fiction. Eli had been his friend. His friend had died at the hands of one of his employees. Vance would never believe that the man he respected so much, even looked up to as a mentor at times, would do such a thing. Would betray him by planning to kill him. Well try to at least.

Plus there was the whole issue of where the bomb was and if they had indeed gotten each of her father's men. With all of the wires being switched off it was not as though Abby could trace or follow any signals. They knew where her father had been staying and would just have to cross their fingers that all they were questioning would be answered. Their main problem had been taken care of. Now they had to deal with the aftermath.

Her father was dead. She had killed him. Ari was dead. She had killed him. Who was next? Gibbs? Tony? Abby? Hannah? Sure she had a reason behind the murders of her father and brother, but her father must have had his reasons for letting her sister and mother die. Was she that same monster? Had she become her father despite her promises to herself of never allowing that to happen? Was she now that same evil, manipulative person? Taking the lives of her family, not even thinking before pulling the trigger. That was her father. She was her father. She had killed that horrid and terrifying man only to have him live on in her. She should have someone kill her now, before she could hurt others. Before she lost her mind and managed to justify to herself that the death of those around her was a good thing, a necessary adjustment to be made in order for things to go right. If she had already started on this path then how long would it take until-

Ziva slams her hand down on the desk and simultaneously stands up. She sees Hannah jump up from the corner of her eye and saw Tony and McGee look up at her. She presses her hands to her temples trying to rid the thoughts invading her mind.

"Ziva?" Tony questions staring into her troubled eyes. She had been doing so well and the sudden onset of emotions was unexpected. Both to those in the office and herself. She had been holding it together so well that he should have seen it coming. He never thought he would though. He knew it would come and yet it was still so unexpected. Her eyes are now closed, her fingers being pressed heavily against the sides of her face. He sees Hannah staring up at Ziva with terrified eyes. She didn't understand what was going on, thank God, so not much of what was going made sense. She knew people were upset and bad things had happened, but she did not know the why's and how's.

Slowly Ziva begins lowering her hands, her eyes now open. She looked confused, like she had not expected to see this particular scene. She glances around at them embarrassment and sadness in her eyes. It was catching up to her, it was inevitable. She would have to deal with this whole ordeal sooner or later but it took her mind time to filter through it all. It clearly still was and she obviously didn't know what to think or say. Vance really should allow them to go home.

"You okay?" McGee asks and Tony feels an urge to head slap him. The answer to the question was rather obvious.

"Yes," she lies. "I just need a drink is all." She walks away, Tony begins to follow her of course. He stops in front of Hannah's chair first, kneeling down to her level.

"What wrong with Ziva?"

"She's upset, Hannah. She'll be fine."

"Can I help?" she asks innocently, the desire to do so very clear.

"You're helping a lot already, okay?" She seems to ponder it over so Tony adds a bit more, "If I think of anything I'll tell you."

"Make sure you give her a hug," Hannah commands him.

Tony smiles at her. She had seen and lived through horrible things but she still had such an innocent mind and view of life. He was glad. "I will. Go bug Probie for me." She gives him a mischievous grin before getting up from her seat and making her way towards McGee. Perhaps he was rubbing of on her a bit too much.

Tony didn't bother to wonder about it for too long though. He followed the direction Ziva had gone in, curious to where it was she may have gone. He checked the vending machines and elevator first, even called in to the women's bathroom to see if she was hiding out in there. Finally he walked off in the opposite direction Ziva had gone, over to the staircase. There she stood, her head leaned against the wall. "It took you long enough," she tells him even though her face was away from him. Just as ninja as ever.

"I didn't think to check over here. You walked in the other direction."

Ziva does not bother to answer him. He had found where she was and she did not need the rest of the story. "What happens now?"

"Depends on what you're talking about," Tony says a little lost on where this conversation was going. He had not been prepared for this yet. To see Ziva upset, broken, lost. It wasn't right. It wasn't her.

"I wish I knew!" she exclaims angrily. "I do not know what I'm thinking of or wondering about," she admits to him, turning to meet his stare. He looked so worried. "One second I am worried of what we are telling Director Vance about, the next I am remembering that I have killed my father and then I find myself thinking of how I am hungry! I can not take this, Tony. There is much too many things skipping through my mind."

"Running," he corrects.

"correct idiomcy is on the bottom of my list of concerns," she assures him. "It is like my mind is in ten different places. What's going to happen in Mossad? What will happen to NCIS? What about Hannah? Where am I going from here? What lies are we telling to the head of federal agencies? What will happen to Gibbs? To you?" Ziva takes a deep breath, trying to calm her frantic thoughts. "I do not even know how I feel about one thing because then the next thought begins. I am angry and sad and happy and hurt and tired and confused. Yes, confused explains it all best."

"I'm sorry," he wanted to say more, or be able to offer her something aside from a worthless apology.

"I am fine," she begins to protest but decides against it. No more lies. "I need to go home. I need to not be...here."

"Ziva," Tony starts knowing that some of her thoughts had to be so terrible right now. "You know that what happened...You know that it wasn't-"

"I know what I did. I know the actions I chose, and the consequences it brought. I know it was what had to be done. Aside from that I am not sure of very much else."

"He had to be stopped. If he hadn't of been..." Tony strays off really hating the scenarios that popped into his mind. "He was hurting innocent people. There wasn't a choice."

"Just like there was no choice for Ari, yes? He had to be stopped as well I suppose!" She was angry. It was understandable. "We were supposed to be a family, Tony. Families do not kill each other. Isn't there a bond with families? A relationship of some sort? One outside of anger and hatred. Where was that? Why has it never existed?" Her foot collides with the wall, frustration set towards it. "They are all gone now. Every single last one. Dead. Murdered. Why am I left here standing? It is not right, completely unfair. Why, Tony?" she asks, pleading him for the answer.

"I don't know," he tells her truthfully. Saying anything else or giving any kind of answer would not be fair to her. "I do know that what you did was the right thing."

"I just wish I could be so sure of the same."

"Can you trust me on this one?"

"I do, Tony, but can you honestly expect me not to have doubts? Not to question what happened? My father is dead. I killed him," she declares, staring meaningfully at him.

"I-I'm sorry, Ziva."

"It is not your fault," she responds, feeling bad for taking such things out on him.

"It's not your's either."

Ziva gives him a look of question and he notices the tears that are filling in her eyes. "I am not so sure of that." She had been the one with the gun, the ability. It was her finger that pulled the trigger, and her mind that made the choice. Could she honestly believe she did not play some level of fault in this?

"Ziva-" Tony begins only to be cut off by a voice with much more command and power.

"Officer David," Director Vance says from up above the two agents, making his way down with Gibbs. Gibbs would fill them in. It would have to be a quick explanation for Ziva though. "Agent DiNozzo," he says next much to the surprise of the two. "Go home. I'll need to talk to both of you tomorrow. Until then you're done for the day. I'll speak with you about the arrangements for you father tomorrow. I am very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Director," she tells him and stalks off.

Tony gives Gibbs a questioning look but happily obliges when his boss nods his head after Ziva. He walked over to Ziva and turned to look at whatever it was she was staring over at. Hannah stood at Ziva desk, one of the drawers open, her little hands were clasped around a picture. Ziva knew which one it was, who's faces were shown. It was all of them, one of the only two pictures they had of her entire family. Her Aba and Ima then Ari, Tali and herself. "This is the man who brought me here," Hannah informs them as though they did not know.

"Yes," Ziva confirms, walking over to Hannah and getting down to her level. "He was my Aba, Hannah."

"At Aba rah l'?" she asks. Tony had spent the last few weeks, and years too kinda, learning Hebrew and these were some of the words he heard rather often. "Your daddy was bad too?" would have been the English translation.

Ziva stared sadly back at the little girl. "Ken, rah me'od." Was bad. Not anymore, he could no longer be. He was dead. So was Hannah's Aba.

"Sle'cha," Hannah says quietly "Sorry." She felt remorse for Ziva's pain, both past and present. Hannah understood it, even at the young age she was.

Ziva responds by pressing a kiss to her forehead and whispering soft words in Hebrew. Ones Tony had not yet learned. "We should go," Ziva tells Tony as she stands up. He was the only one with a car which was fine since they were all going back to the same place anyway.

Hannah goes to place the picture back in the drawer she found it, a little spy in the making. Something Ziva would have to talk about with her for sure. Ziva takes the picture from Hannah's hand and folds it neatly down the middle. She pulls her coat on and places the picture in one of her pockets. What good would it do sitting hidden in desk?

Tony takes Hannah's coat and hands it to her. The snow was gone, but it was still winter and still very, very cold. He took her back pack and her hand as well and the three walked from the elevator and to the car. "Pizza?" Tony asks and Ziva simply nods in agreement. She did not feel like cooking anything. She wanted to eat, and make sure Hannah did as well, and then she wanted to sleep. It was as simple as that. They would not have to stop back at her house since Ziva still had her clothes at Tony's from when she had stayed with him only mere weeks ago. Things had changed so vastly since then. It seemed like a lifetime ago, an entire different era. That was the beginning, this was supposedly the end. Perhaps more like the beginning of the end. It was not as though life was ever retuning to normal now, and for that Ziva was grateful.

Tony pulled into the parking lot of the pizza parlor, having called in fifteen minutes ago, and gets out leaving just Hannah and Ziva. Ziva turns around to talk to Hannah but sees that she has fallen asleep. Poor girl must be exhausted, it reminded Ziva of just how tired she was. The kind where you were so over-tired it made it hard to sleep. Where the longer you stayed up the more awake you became. Tonight would be hell.

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Ziva rolls over on to her other side trying once again to get comfortable. She had been right in her assessment, unfortunately. Hannah was fast asleep on Tony's couch and Tony himself lay next her and had drifted off well over an hour ago. She had relaxed into his embrace and was so close to sleep, now she felt as far from it as possible. She tried her best to lightly get up from the bed, hoping she did not shift it too much. Walking out into the living room she lifted her coat and pulled out the desired object. She takes it and sits down at the table, the same one she had drunkenly confessed her father's evil intentions so very long ago.

Lightly she opens the photo, running her fingers over the worn paper. Her eyes first went to her Ima and Aba. They stood very stiff, as a child Ziva thought it was because that was proper for adults, but now when she was older she realized it was because neither truly loved the other. They stood side by side, not touching the other but still close together. That's how it was both physically and mentally in their relationship. Never truly together with everything but always one next to the other, her ima always shifted slightly behind.

Ziva's eyes then drifted to her family, the ones she really loved and remembered from when she grew up. Tali was on the farthest left and Ziva to the right. Ari stood between the two, each of his arms wrapped around the girl's shoulders. She remembered that day so perfectly, it was one that had stayed so fresh in her memory. She was okay with it too because it was such a happy memory.

Tali had been whiny that day, it did not help that the camera man did not seem to know in slightest bit what he was doing. Tali was young only five or six, and had set her mind into wanting to stand next to her big sister. Ziva had been annoyed a bit but that was a day that she thought her sister must really love her. Well that and Tali seemed to greatly enjoy being difficult. It was her trademark.

Ziva was tired that day, she was still recovering from the flu and did not want to be standing outside in some ridiculous dress Ima had forced her to put on. The more Tali complained and her aba yelled the more frustrated she got. It had gotten to the point where her ten years old self had taken the small pocket knife out of the stupid lace sock her ima was making her wear and flipped it open showing it to the camera man and told him to take the picture. Her mother was horrified and her father gave one of the best laughs she had ever heard from him. She liked the sound.

That was when Ari intervened folding Ziva's knife and wiping Tali's tears. He began to make funny faces every time one of them would begin complaining or aba would yell at the camera man or ima would shush the children and tell them to "Smile pretty." Soon it became a game of great fun and the girls were in giggles. The camera eventually flashed and they got a few good pictures, this one was given to her when her ima died. It had been her favorite photograph of them.

The picture had actually been taken on accident, in the actual one the kids were more professional looking. This one was there's though. Ari was sticking his tongue out and making his eyes all squinty, Tali had her cheeks sucked in, imitating a fish, and Ziva just had the biggest smile. It was not a smile actually it was mid-laugh. She remembered how very happy she was in that moment. Her brother's arm wrapped around her giving her a feeling of security and little bouts of laughter coming from her sister. She loved them both dearly and they were what had made the day a good one. Despite the hideous dress she was wearing. She remembered wishing every day could be like that, filled with laughter and joy.

Unfortunately it had never returned to that. It was okay though because Ziva knew that one day she'd be back there, not Israel, not with those people, but in that moment of pure happiness. She would live it again, and she would make sure Hannah had many opportunities of it. An everyday occurrence was going to be one of pure bliss. That's what Ziva wanted to give that little girl and she would.

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Okay there's only one chapter and an epilogue left. I suggest you review because you're running out of chances (hint hint) I'm not too crazy about this chapter but I don't hate it so hopefully it is okay. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think. I'd imagine by this point into the story you know how much I love them so I'll just leave it at that. Thanks for reading! Have a great day :)


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